The free agency craze in the NBA is essentially over, other than a few remaining restricted free agents, including the Chicago Bulls' Josh Giddey. There aren't many teams left with cap space, squeezing the market for the remaining available players.
Barring major trades, it's hard to imagine the balance of power shifting in the league until the new season starts.
One potentially significant trade could involve Chicago. After a disappointingly quiet offseason, the Bulls are once again on their way to another mediocre season, stuck in the Play-In race. The ownership and the front office seem frustratingly fine with chasing the ninth seed year in and year out.
One way they can get out of this purgatory is if they receive an offer too good to turn down for Coby White.
Bulls Must Seriously Consider Trading Coby White This Summer
White is entering the final season of his contract. On the books for $12.8 million for the 2025-26 season, White has one of the most team-friendly deals in the NBA. This makes his trade value exceptionally high, especially after the career season he had, averaging over 20 points per game on over 60% True Shooting. His ability to play both on and off the ball makes him a good fit on essentially every team.
That is why this is the right time to move on from him. Otherwise, the Bulls will have to pay market value for White on his next deal, which will almost certainly be over $25 million per season. Considering that Chicago will likely pay Giddey similar money for the foreseeable future, that is a ton invested in a questionable backcourt fit because of both players' defensive concerns.
The Bulls can presumably get one very good first-rounder with upside, or two middling first-round picks for White. They could also get a young player whom they can develop as part of the matching salary. That is a far more preferable route than paying Giddey and White close to $60 million per year in the 2026-27 season.
This front office has missed the boat on trading their veterans at the right time on many occasions before, but let's hope that they see the writing on the wall this time around.