MY FAVORITE PARTS of the NBA season, ranked from worst to first:
9) Play-In Tournament
8) All-Star Game
7) All-Star Saturday Night
6) First Round of the Playoffs
5) Free Agency, Day 1
4) Regular Season
3) The Playoffs Minus the First Round
2) NBA Draft
1) TIE: NBA Championship & Trade Deadline
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk deadline.
THE CHICAGO BULLS are inching towards a rebuild, and virtually any roster overhaul would (and should) include saying goodbye to sharpshooting seventh-year guard, Coby White.
Listen, the 25-year-old North Carolina product is a perfectly fine player — good from distance, high motor, solid teammate — but he’s in the final year of his contract and will demand big bucks, and for this iteration of the Bulls, he’s not the kind of option who should eat up their salary cap.
I mean would you make Vinnie Johnson, a fair comp, your highest-paid player? Yeah, me neither.
Another reason that a divorce makes sense: Chicago has plenty of nifty backcourt options in Josh Giddey, Ayo Dosunmu, and Tre Jones — all of whom, like White, can play both guard positions — so while Coby isn’t redundant, he’s not not redundant.
With the trade deadline two weeks away, the Coby rumors have been flying, with Minnesota seemingly the most interested party. But most every team in the Association would welcome a perky three-point gunner, so to that end, let’s see what each team in the league might (or might not) offer to land White.
Because some of these scenarios are on the absurd side, I’ve included a 1-10 Reality Rating for each move. So let the absurdity begin.
Coby White
Patrick Williams
Reality Rating: 7.0. After the Trae Young deal, Atlanta might benefit from a new floor general.
Sam Hauser
2026 second-round pick
Reality Rating: 3.5. Hauser is semi-expendable, and the C’s likely wouldn’t mind a future replacement for Derrick White. But they’re, like, really good, so why rock the boat?
Coby White
Nikola Vučević
Reality Rating: 6.5. The Nets are a mess, so anything’s possible.
Coby White
Nikola Vučević
Reality Rating: 2.5. White likely wouldn’t mind playing in his college town, and the Bulls likely wouldn’t mind the draft capital. But Williams is meh, so nah.
Coby White
Patrick Williams
Caris LeVert (expiring)
Georges Niang (expiring)
2027 first-round pick
Reality Rating: 6.5. A pair of expirings and an umprotected first would wouldn’t suck for the Bulls. And a Darius Garland/Coby White backcourt would drive the Eastern Conference batty.
Coby White
Patrick Williams
Naji Marshall
Klay Thompson (expiring)
2026 second-round pick
Reality Rating: 6.0. This doesn’t really move the needle for either team, but both need a kick in the butt.
Peyton Watson
2026 second-round pick
Reality Rating: 4.5. Doubtful Denver would want to mess with success, but man, Nikola Jokic would have a blast with Coby parked behind the arc, wouldn’t he?
Reality Rating: 6.5 While Robinson has been a key cog in Detroit’s resurgence, they might be willing to give him up — as well as a first-rounder that’ll be virtually a second-rounder — for a dude who’ll be a sweet piece for a playoff run.
Coby White
Nikola Vučević
Reality Rating: 4.0. Before Jimmy Butler went down for the season, this one could’ve been a thing. Now with Butler on the shelf, and Kuminga dealing with some ouchies of his own, not so much.
Coby White
Patrick Williams
Reality Rating: 2.5. Houston’s fine as is.
Aaron Nesmith
Jarace Walker
2026 second-round pick
Reality Rating: 4.5. If the Pacers could re-sign White, this would set them up wonderfully for next season, when Tyrese Haliburton is back on the court. However, it’s doubtful the Bulls would send White to a needy divisional rival.
Reality Rating: 1.0. The Clippers will be in the lottery, and the Bulls would want no part of a pick that’ll never convert.
Reality Rating: 0.5. If the Lakers didn’t have Austin Reaves, this would be intriguing. But they have Austin Reaves, so intrigue gone.
John Konchar
2026 second-round pick
2027 second-round pick
2029 second-round pick
Reality Rating: 4.5. If the Grizz decide to move on from Ja Morant, we’ll bump that up to a 6.5. Maybe even a 7.0.
Coby White
Patrick Williams
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Haywood Highsmith
2026 second-round pick
Reality Rating: 1.5. This is my favorite on the list, because I loves me some Jaime Jaquez. But Pat Riley also loves himself some Jaime Jaquez, so let’s put this one to bed.
Coby White
Nikola Vučević
Bobby Portis
2027 second-round pick
2028 second-round pick
Reality Rating: 6.5. The Bucks are a mess and they need good pieces. White is a good piece, and a Bobby Portis reunion would, if nothing else, be amusing.
Coby White
Patrick Williams
Reality Rating: 8.5. As noted, Minnesota kinda lusts after White, and if the Wolves could be convinced to part with Dillingham and a first rather than Terrence Shannon Jr. and a second, done deal.
Reality Rating: 7.0: I already waxed about Zion. Like, a lot. Moving on.
Miles McBride
Precious Achiuwa
2026 second-round pick
2027 second-round pick
Reality Rating: 6.0. There are whispers the Knicks might move Karl-Anthony Towns. If they go that route, Coby could be a sweet treat.
Kenrich Williams
Davis Bertans (expiring)
2027 second-round pick
Reality Rating: 0.0. The Thunder are just fine. Next.
Reality Rating: 0.0. The Magic just mortgaged their future for the distinctly Coby-esque Desmond Bane. They’re good.
Nicolas Batum (expiring)
KJ Martin
2026 second-round pick
Reality Rating: 0.5. Like the Bulls, the Sixers are overloaded at guard, so probably not.
Coby White
Nikola Vučević
Reality Rating: 3.0. This isn’t a bad starting point for a discussion, but Chicago would likely want a younger player or an additional second-rounder. That would’ probably end the discussion.
Jabari Walker
Robert Williams III
2026 second-round pick
Reality Rating: 2.5. Portland would probably jump at this one, if only to get Williams off their center-laded roster. This doesn’t move Chicago’s needle, so end of story.
Coby White
Patrick Williams
Keldon Johnson
2026 second-round pick
Reality Rating: 1.5. Johnson would actually be a nice fit in Chicago — he’s like Patrick Williams, except way better — but the Spurs already have Stephon Castle.
Bruce Brown
Chris Boucher (expiring)
2026 second-round pick
Reality Rating: 1.5. Before the season, Toronto might’ve considered this. Turns out they can hoop, so they’re good.
Walker Kessler
2026 second-round pick
Reality Rating: 6.5. This is probably the win-winnest deal of the bunch, as the Utal second-rounder would be virtually a first-rounder. But I suspect that both front offices are too stubborn to pull the trigger.
Reality Rating: 0.5. A Trae Young/Coby White backcourt would be a mess. But Washington likes messes, so don’t dismiss it entirely.