Bulls may need to trade critical star this season, says expert
originally appeared on The Sporting News

An expert believes that the Chicago Bulls have a big decision to make on a critical 2026 free agent — possibly before he hits said free agency.

Chicago under team president Arturas Karnisovas has been mired in sub-mediocrity for three years and counting, an utterly aimless and rudderless franchise that can't even advance out of the play-in tournament in the NBA's lesser Eastern Conference.

Still, the Bulls boast some intriguing young talent that could be used to bolster trade partners.

Chicago's front office is horrible at trades

Karnisovas has exhibited an absolute willingness to get obliterated in player swaps since 2024, netting a total of one future first round draft pick (their own for 2025, which had been offloaded to the San Antonio Spurs in a prior trade) and two seconds in deals for All-Star wings Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, All-Defensive Team guard Alex Caruso, and veteran point guard Lonzo Ball.

Still, Elias Schuster of Bleacher Nation thinks Karnisovas may need to make another trade midway through the 2025-26 season.

Bulls starting shooting guard Coby White, still just 25, has emerged as clearly the team's best player across the past two seasons. Being the best player on a club that finished with a 39-43 record and failed to win a play-in tournament game may not be much to write home about, but the University of North Carolina product clearly has All-Star upside.

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Across 74 healthy bouts for Chicago, White averaged a career-high 20.4 points while slashing .453/.370/.902, 4.5 dimes, 3.7 boards, and 0.9 swipes a night.

"The guard has shown immense improvement over the last couple of years, and he finished the 2024-25 campaign on an absolute tear," Schuster writes. "He offers excellent speed on the open floor, electric long-range shooting, and significantly improved ball-handling."

White is entering the final year of a three-season, $36 million deal, and has already (reportedly) declined a contract extension, as he seeks out a richer agreement next summer.

"The Bulls have to be careful about paying both Coby White and Josh Giddey. As intriguing as the two players can be, the last thing you want to do is tie up too much money into an unproven backcourt," Schuster writes.

White and Giddey have enjoyed some solid tandem play, and mesh well together offensively. Giddey, a restricted free agent this summer, is a pass-first guard whose 6-foot-8 height allows him to gobble up rebounds and see over opposing defenders, while White has always been a score-first guard.

WILD ending in Bulls/Lakers
Bulls down 115-110 with 10.1 seconds to go
— Patrick Williams 3, Bulls down 115-113
— Giddey steal on inbounds pass
— Coby White 3, Bulls go up 116-115
— Austin Reaves Layup with 3.1 seconds, Lakers up 117-115
— Giddey game winner from half court pic.twitter.com/IxYxxwsmhx

— Will Gottlieb (@Will_Gottlieb) March 28, 2025

"Once again, that’s why this upcoming season will be so important. If White does ball out, I expect him back in a Bulls uniform," Schuster notes. "If he continues to be inconsistent, a trade could happen before we even get to free agency."

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