The Minnesota Timberwolves enter Friday’s marquee matchup against the Golden State Warriors with a 15-9 record, sitting sixth in the Western Conference.
Even though they’re in the NBA playoff picture, the Timberwolves still lack a reliable primary ball-handler capable of running the offense effectively when Anthony Edwards is taken out of the play.
Against that backdrop, Chicago Sun-Times columnist Joe Cowley reported on Thursday that the Timberwolves have inquired on Chicago Bulls guard Coby White and “are not looking to wait until February and the trade deadline to get a deal done,” believing they must address primary ball-handling sooner rather than later.
Cowley frames White as a realistic, shorter-term fix compared with higher-price names Minnesota reportedly eyed.
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White is enjoying a career year in Chicago, leading the team with 22.1 points per game, along with 5.4 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 29.3 minutes, while providing catch-and-shoot spacing and a proven ability to create off the bounce.
He was the No. 7 pick in 2019, progressed into a primary scorer in Chicago and remains only 25 years old.
Spotrac lists his contract as a three-year, $36 million deal, averaging about $12 million per year.
That combination of age, recent production and reasonable salary makes him an attainable trade target for a contender.
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The Timberwolves’ backcourt depth chart includes Edwards (listed as a guard/wing but the team’s primary scoring creator), Donte DiVincenzo, Mike Conley, Jaylen Clark, Terrence Shannon Jr, and Bones Hyland.
Conley and DiVincenzo lead a group that can score but lacks the steady, consistent pick-and-roll floor-general play that some contenders value.
Multiple reports suggest a Wolves package could include DiVincenzo (salary-matching), youngster Shannon Jr. (cheap contract) and a draft pick or protected pick to make a move for White.
By contrast, the Bulls currently sit 9-14, 11th in the Eastern Conference and outside the playoff picture, another factor that could influence how the organization handles a 25-year-old asset like White.