Bulls Rumors: NBA Execs Believe Coby White Will Be Trade Candidate Ahead of Deadline

Chicago Bulls guard Coby White is expected to be a trade candidate ahead of the 2022-23 NBA trade deadline, rival executives told HoopsHype's Michael Scotto.

White has averaged 8.1 points per game this season, shooting 38.2 percent from the floor and 29.4 percent from three-point range. Of note, he has missed the past seven games with a quad injury.

White got off to a sluggish start to the 2021-22 season, his third since the Bulls selected him with the seventh overall pick in the 2019 draft, but he eventually bounced back thanks to a decent increase in offensive efficiency while playing a smaller role.

The 22-year-old UNC product averaged 12.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists across 61 appearances while shooting 43.3 percent from the field, including 38.5 percent on threes, last season.

While White has shown progress at the offensive end, he's continued to struggle defensively—grading out negatively for the third straight year, per FiveThirtyEight.

"Last year, he really wanted me to play off my shot more and get downhill. I really focused on that," he said in January about head coach Billy Donovan. "And since last year ended, a big focus for me was defense. I feel I'm making strides in all areas. And I gotta continue to get better."

Donovan described the North Carolina native as a "winning player."

A change of scenery to a team where White could take on a more prominent role—Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević are locked in as high-minute starters for the Bulls—may help accelerate his development.