Trade rumors: Coby White is now reported to be ‘off limits’ by Chicago ahead of deadline

The Bulls haven’t lived up to the expectation this past couple of seasons, and now with many star players on the season-ending injury list, both fans and experts are hoping they trade ahead of February’s deadline. One of the biggest surprises of the campaign has been Coby White, who many teams have shown interest in the past month. 

Nevertheless, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the Chicago front office considers the young guard to be “off-limits” in trade talks. The 23-year-old was considered available at last year’s deadline and even throughout the summer, but his recent performances have changed the scenery.

“After he was considered available at last year’s trade deadline and before the 2023 NBA Draft, Coby White is now considered off-limits in Chicago, sources said, after this breakout season,” the reporter wrote. “The Bulls seem all but guaranteed to hold onto Zach LaVine after the All-Star guard underwent season-ending surgery, leaving reserve center Andre Drummond considered to be the most likely Chicago player to be moved by Thursday, sources said.”

#Bulls Draw the 'Off-Limits' Line, Protecting Coby White in Trade Talks!https://t.co/voJJdeN6ZA

— NBA Analysis Network (@HoopAnalysisNet) February 6, 2024

However, Coby isn’t the only club star who is being chased down by other franchises. “Alex Caruso has indeed drawn interest from various postseason contenders, but the Bulls’ asking price is known to be quite steep, according to league sources,” he said.

Chicago signed White to a three-year, $36 million deal last offseason, and he has been thriving ever since. This season, as he’s making $11.1 million, the player is averaging 19.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.3 blocks.

Even though the Bulls are 23-27 and sitting ninth in the Eastern Conference, the team must make many important decisions considering they’re under .500 and shorthanded, with no Zach Lavine, Patrick Williams or Lonzo Ball.

Reporter Darnell Mayberry admitted he couldn’t believe LaVine was having season-ending foot surgery. “I was very surprised. At first, I thought, probably like most fans, that it was the ankle injury, the sprain that he had from the ankle roll, but it wasn’t. It was the injury that caused him to miss 17 games in December, and that was the issue, not the ankle sprain,” he said.

NBA insider isn’t entirely sure if Zach Lavine will return to compete as a Bulls player ever again

Renowned Bulls reporter Darnell Mayberry was then asked if he thought Zach would return as a Chicago player, but he wasn’t able to give a straight answer.

“It’s a tough question because Zach has made it clear that he’s open to playing elsewhere, and you wonder if this decision is because the Bulls couldn’t work out a deal with the team of his choice,” he responded. “You know, there was a lot of rumors earlier that he wanted to go out and maybe join LeBron with the Lakers, and so, when you add all of that in, it certainly seems a little fishy. And if Zach will ever play again for the Bulls, it’s questionable.”

On the other hand, The Athletic journalist believes other stars can take the responsibility of leading the Bulls franchise. In a recent interview, Mayberry explained the contractual situations dealing with Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic.

“They have every incentive to be active right now, because Alex Caruso is here on a great, team-friendly contract that a lot of teams, contenders would love to have,” he detailed. “DeMar DeRozan [is on] an expiring contract that doesn’t really make a lot of sense for the Bulls long-term at this point. So you have a lot of different ways you can go. Nikola Vucevic has two more years remaining [on his contract] after signing that extension. So, if you’re not going to be competitive, why not go into a different direction?”