If there’s a point guard who might save the Timberwolves, it might be Coby White.
The seventh overall pick from the 2019 NBA Draft plays for the Chicago Bulls and has apparently caught the eye of Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, according to longtime Chicago sports insider Joe Cowley, who says the Timberwolves are “big-game hunting for a point guard.”
“According to a source, Coby White has been inquired about, and time is of the essence in the Bulls making a decision,” Cowley wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times. “The source said that Minnesota is not looking to wait until February and the trade deadline to get a deal done, looking to fix the primary ball-handling situation that’s been an issue all season long for them.”
However, Cowley says Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas isn’t quite ready to punt on the current roster just yet.
“Maybe soon, but not yet,” Cowley wrote.
White missed the beginning of the season with a calf injury. He’s played six games so far and has averaged 23.8 points, 6.2 assists, and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 44.4% overall and 32.7% from three. Last season, White averaged 20.4 points while shooting 37% from three.
White would be a great addition to a Wolves team that is starting games without a true point guard and bringing 38-year-old Mike Conley off the bench. Without a natural point guard, the Wolves are relying on Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo to bring the ball up the floor, with Edwards and Julius Randle serving as the focal points of the half-court offense.
Cowley speculated about a possible package for White featuring DiVincenzo, Terrence Shannon Jr., and a future draft pick. Bill Simmons recently discussed a fake Wolves-Bulls trade for White, and he came up with a package centered around DiVincenzo and Rob Dillingham.
The catch here is that White is going to command a hefty contract in free agency next summer, so Minnesota would need to sign him to an extension to avoid this being a half-season rental.
Dillingham and Shannon are on rookie contracts, while DiVincenzo is one of basketball’s best bargains at just $12 million this season and $12.5 million in 2026-27.
Minnesota may also take a hit defensively if it trades DiVincenzo. White’s defensive rating the last three seasons, including this season, has been between 113.9 and 115.8. DiVincenzo’s defensive rating is 112.0 this season, after he produced a very nice 109.1 rating in 2024-25.
It’s obvious that Minnesota isn’t comfortable with its point guard situation, but they’re going to have to give up some valuable pieces if they want to be “big-game hunting” in the point guard market — and White might be the least expensive of them all.
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