Bulls Trade Rumors: Coby White Considered 'Off Limits' Ahead of NBA Deadline

Even if the Chicago Bulls shift into a rebuild ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, expect Coby White to remain in the Windy City.

"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," Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported.

Chicago is facing something of a predicament approaching the trade deadline.

On one hand, it is in line to at least make the play-in tournament at ninth in the Eastern Conference. On the other hand, it is not a true contender, especially with Zach LaVine now out for the season.

Acquiring as many draft picks and younger players as it can would likely be the smart move for the front office, especially since DeMar DeRozan is playing on an expiring contract and could head elsewhere during the upcoming offseason anyway.

Yet Fischer suggested big man Andre Drummond may be the only player the Bulls end up moving since LaVine is injured and their "asking price is known to be quite steep" when it comes to Alex Caruso.

If the front office does eventually decide it is going to focus on the future and trade the players it can, it still makes sense to keep White.

After all, he is just 23 years old and seems to have turned the corner this season. The No. 7 overall pick of the 2019 NBA draft didn't exactly live up to expectations in his first four years in the league but is averaging 19.2 points, 5.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from deep in 2023-24.

There have been times when the Bulls have put the ball in his hands at crunch time, and his ability to hit from deep allows him to play well off the attention DeRozan and Nikola Vučević attract.

If he continues on his current trajectory, White can be a foundational building block for the Bulls for years to come.

Even if they end up moving other players ahead of Thursday's deadline.