Cubs News: Pros and Cons of extending Coby White |
Along with all the trade talk surrounding Zach Lavine and the decisions the Bulls have to make this offseason, several other players need a breakout 2023-24 campaign to secure a spot on this roster long-term. Patrick Williams is a name that comes to mind as he has yet to live up to the No. 4 overall pick.
Granted, his first two seasons were affected by injuries, but Williams had a great opportunity to break out last season and showed his potential in the final two months. That may be a sign to come for this season, as an increase in production from him would be huge. Ayo Dosunmu is another player that needs a breakout year this season. After a strong rookie campaign, Dosunmu struggled during his second season but still provided the Bulls with massive minutes. Dosunmu has made it a point to improve his shot and overall game this offseason and has spent a ton of work doing that. We must wait and see how that translates when the season starts. However, another young and talented player has his future up in the air as Coby White is entering the end of his current Bulls contract. White is no stranger to being in the center of the Bulls' offseason, as he dealt with trade chatter last season and this season. Another highly regarded first-round pick, White has been inconsistent at best in terms of production, but last season saw him put together his best season as a pro which is why his value is as high as it is right now. Many expect the Bulls to trade White away and cash in while his value is high. However, some feel he is essential to the Bulls' future and that an extension will be reached. I can see both arguments, and there are plenty of pros and cons that come with keeping White long-term: Pros 1: A versatile player: Perhaps the thing that is often overlooked when it comes to White is his overall versatility. Drafted No. 7 overall four years ago, White played PG for UNC before moving to SG in the NBA. Given the number of injuries the Bulls have had at the PG spot, White has played plenty of PG minutes and has had mixed results along the way. With Lonzo Ball still on the mend and the Bulls searching for a PG for next season, White could be an in-house option for them going forward. Granted, he still has work to do, but his overall decision-making was much better last season, and the offense will be better off with him getting more minutes. 2. Outside shooting: One of the most significant flaws on this Bulls roster is their lack of outside shooting. It has been an ongoing issue for the past three seasons and something Arturas Karnisovas has failed to address. For the Bulls to reach the next level offensively, they need to get more shooters from the outside to keep teams honest on the defensive end. White is one of the few shooters on the Bulls current roster that can knock down triples, and he showed that consistently all season long. Losing him will make a terrible shooting three-point team that much worse, which wouldn't bode well going forward. That is arguably the most important part of his game. 3. Premiere bench scorer: Despite a ton of talk about White starting if Ball isn't ready to go, you could argue that his value comes as the sixth man on this team. When he comes off the bench, White gives the second unit the spark they need and averages roughly 13 PPG off the bench. Compare that to his starting numbers, where he is closer to 17 PPG, you can see why the Bulls want him in the starting lineup, but he is a much more consistent player off the bench. Looking at the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets, who played for the NBA title this season, they had some of the better benches in the league. Why not keep someone that makes your bench better and gives you more offensive versatility as a group? CONS: 1. An undefined role and uncertain future: As mentioned above, White is a phenomenal player off the bench and has had some success as a starter. However, he has yet to be a starter consistently, and it is hard to give him the minutes he deserves with guys like Zach Lavine, DeMar DeRozan, and Ball ahead of him. That alone puts the Bulls in a predicament as White has yet to find a defined role with this team. Should that come this season, I find it very difficult that they move on from him, but should he go another season without an actual role, you could see him on the way out of Chicago without an extension. 2. High trade value: People wanted White out of Chicago two years ago, and you can see why. Fast forward to this season, and those same people are calling for an extension when you look at his play last season. White has been a trade candidate for the past few years, but his value has never been higher than it is now. Entering the final year of his rookie deal, there is an old saying that you always want to sell high instead of not selling at all. White is one of those sell-high candidates, as his value has never been higher than it is right now. Sure, losing him would hurt this team, but the Bulls would also be able to add pieces to this team they may not have been able to get in the past. That alone could prevent a rebuild or, at the very least, speed up a rebuild should they go in that direction. 3. Financials: White has no control over the final Con, which falls on the Financials of this team. White is a good player who will make between 13-15 million dollars should he hit the open market. Looking at his overall scoring numbers and his potential, that would be considered a bargain, but it is a bargain the Bulls may not be able to afford in the short term. Currently, the Bulls are in financial hell and organizational purgatory as they need to figure out what direction to go from here. With Lavine, Ball, and DeRozan commanding more than 80 million between the three, the Bulls don't have much financial flexibility to offer many long-term deals. Should they go out and extend Nikola Vucevic, their available funds would be that much smaller, putting Chicago in a tough spot with White. White loves Chicago and wants to be here, but he also knows this is a business, and the business side is what makes an extension for him harmful to this organization.
