Ask Sam Mailbag: Coby White’s breakout season, trades ideas and more

Frederick Ong: I have a very good feeling about Coby White. Many people have his ceiling as the second or third best player in a winning team. How about first? I have a feeling or a wish that he could bring the Bulls to the highest highs. Just like the last guy did who also came from the University of North Carolina. Coincidence? Wishful thinking? 

Sam: Maybe we should wait until Coby has one full excellent season, but you may be one to something there on some level. And as importantly perhaps giving the Bulls an opportunity to finally choose a lane that we didn’t think they’d have this season. Coby has been something of a revelation since Coby was allowed to be Coby with the absence of Zach LaVine and then DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević some. I’ve always been aware of the concept of opportunity and have seen many players — and journalists, etc — who if given the chance, well, who knows. It was clear in 2021 the Bulls had moved on without Coby with the acquisition of DeRozan, Lonzo Ball and a bit earlier Vučević to complement LaVine. So we all agreed sixth man, bench weapon, a Jamal Crawford version at the high end. At the same time, Coby needed shoulder surgery. Which also meant the next season would be delayed and diminished. Playing mostly off the bench that next season and even after Ball’s injury, White’s role was limited and then he was overwhelmed in the playoff series loss to Milwaukee. There were rumors he’d be traded and no one seemed surprised or objecting. Then even without Ball, he came off the bench all last season and his scoring average even decreased. He began to show more toughness, better decision making and attacking the basket instead of just stand still shooting. But he still was coming off the bench and often the last month of the season getting less than 10 shot attempts per game. It wasn’t our decision. The people who were seeing him the most, the coaches and management, were using him less. So what should anyone else think? And then they resigned Ayo Dosunmu and used free agency for a point guard, Jevon Carter. But then without Zach and DeRozan missing a few games here and there and newcomer Torrey Craig also going down and Carter not being used much, the load fell to White. And what do you know, he effortlessly lifted it. And he continues to do so even as everyone has returned, continues to make big plays and big shots and the right decisions and many games looks like the best Bulls player on the court. Which if the coaching staff and management goes along it finally gives the Bulls a chance for that reset no one seemed to know how to do. Commit to Coby, as you suggest. Put a younger, more athletic, better shooting team around him. There already have been LaVine trade talks/rumors/discussions? We’re not sure what. It also would suggest to get something for DeRozan while you can because as long as he’s a Bull we pretty much know he’s going to be the closer and the security blanket for the coaching staff. Install White as the Lillard-like do everything point guard, get him a Strus-like catch-and-shoot two, move Patrick Williams to three for more size and spacing, find an athletic four who rebounds and runs the court and match them with Vučević, who seems to work well with White in pick and roll and is adept at moving the ball and spacing the floor. The trade deadline should tell us a lot about what management thinks. If they retain DeRozan, it probably means an extension for him if he wants to stay. If they keep LaVine with DeRozan, after all, there’s only so much White can or should do and he maybe backs off some to be a facilitator/scorer. Coby’s rapid development gives the Bulls a chance to make a statement many didn’t think was there. It will be interesting to see what they say over the next month. 

Parker Lerdal: Will Taj Gibson be back to the Bulls later this season or not when he retires after he got waived for the Knicks? 

Sam: If Thibs doesn’t want him… I was thrilled to see the Knicks give him another chance, back home in New York where he grew up, with Thibs who has been a longtime supporter and mentor. I don’t know how much he has left, but the Bulls do have a roster spot. Which I assume is in reserve for any trade deadline activity. But there are few better veteran mentors than Taj. The Bulls actually seem to have a good veteran mix with the likes of guys like Caruso and Craig, so I’m not sure there’s a need for that aspect. If Taj has a bit of the lift left, I’d love to see him get a last run with the Bulls and maybe retire as a Bull. Though I read Thibs would add him to his coaching staff if he can’t find a job after being cut by the Knicks. Taj certainly would be welcomed by two Bull fellow USC alums, Vooch and DeRozan. Taj’s acquisition was another excellent move by John Paxson that’s often overlooked, getting the No. 26 draft pick used for Taj in the Thabo Sefolosha trade. After DeRozan in that draft at No. 9, Taj probably has had a better NBA career than everyone ahead of him after No. 9 other than Jrue Holiday at 17 and Jeff Teague at 19. And Jeff’s been mostly podcasting for several years. Now that I think about it, was that the most underachieving college team ever? How did that USC team with DeMar, Vooch and Taj finish 13-13 in the Pac 10?

Ateeq Ahmed: Read about coach Spo signing a long extension with Miami. There goes my pipe dream. But really, good for him. He may have just entered the exclusive club of coaches who never changed teams. Who is the greatest coach to stay with only one team? Pop? Russell if he never went to the Kings? You have to put Kerr in the mix, if he never leaves, just for his record alone. Kerr is going to want at least the same contract. 

Sam: As for Steve if he stays. Belichick, Pete Carroll, Nick Saban, and Steve next? By the way, figure Spoelstra to become the winningest all time. Popovich isn’t adding many wins the next few years the way that team is going. Spoelstra is about 700 behind Pop, but just 53 years old with that long-term deal and you can see him going for another 1,000. Hey, he might even get a coach of the year award along the way. Greatest with one team? Has to be Auerbach; no offense to Pop and Jerry Sloan. Nine NBA championships, including an eight-peat. Is there such a thing? Tough to beat that. Sure, there weren’t as many teams then, but then you had to play Wilt about 15 times a season. And then get through the playoffs against teams led by Oscar, then Wilt, then West and Baylor. And you win eight straight? OK, on to Kerr. There’s plenty of speculation these days with the Warriors in serious decline, the GM having left, maybe not retaining Klay Thompson and certainly regretting extending Draymond Green. The question is if free agent Kerr decides to join the parade of coaching greats taking a break. He’s the Olympic coach, and he’ll be in demand after that. Big time. Like Phil Jackson, he’ll get a chance to pick his spot if he chooses. He’d hate to leave Steph Curry, but that’s where this Warriors stuff really gets interesting. Even at 35, Curry’s still one of the best players in the league. But it’s asking him too much now to carry this Warriors team. We’ve all assumed he’d want to ride it out in Golden State, and I’m sure they plan for him to. He’s got two more years after this at about $55 million per. But what if he wants one more chance at a title? Would they try to accommodate him? Likely with the belief he’d return and retire as a Warrior, anyway. Start the bidding. Talk about that final piece. If Curry didn’t have to run everything to keep the Warriors competitive as he has to now, maybe he adds two more productive seasons. He’s hinted at times of finishing back home in Charlotte, but they seem too far away. You know Miami would be in on that one. Talk about a team to watch in the Warriors, and not for how they’re playing this season.

Micheal Queenworth: When has anyone complained about a Budenholzer defense? I think Giannis or some national media said that Griff will get fired if he doesn’t get it together. You get the sense Giannis doesn’t like Dame and the feeling is maybe mutual. May have a Dwight/Harden type thing going on here.

Sam: Sometimes you better watch out what you wish for. No, I’m not talking about Lillard. He wished for Miami, and looking out his window this week can’t make him too happy. The weather may be only a part of that. On a related note, it’s interesting how reputations get you a pass. No one ever much talked about Lillard’s defensive play, so he never gets blamed. Sort of like Harden. But just spend a game watching Lillard. He rarely moves off a spot, occasionally drifts into a casual switch and may or may not raise his hand. Seems like he couldn’t care less, yet others like Zach LaVine get dinged for every layup no matter who is at fault. OK, back to the Bucks. The Lillard trade for basketball purposes probably was a mistake given Lillard’s age (going on 34), salary in the $60 millions and how it basically changed the Bucks’ image and style. It was a success primarily because it was the only way Giannis would agree to an extension. And so he did. And got himself a new coach. The way Budenholzer was coaching last season he looked and acted like he knew it was his last, anyway. So maybe that had been decided already. The Bucks got one Thursday over Boston, but the Bucks too often look old and slow team, and there’s probably more we’ll never know about. Giannis is a great talent even if he’s not a basketball player. By that I mean he really doesn’t have the identifiable basketball skills like, you know, shooting, passing and ball-handling. He’s just an amazing physical, well, freak. With this incredibly welcoming personality. So he called out everyone last week, and puts up huge numbers — hey, don’t look at me? — and they’ve taken a lot of bad losses. It’s good news for the Bulls and the East because they no longer look like a team to fear. The mystery is just what is going on there.

Mike Sutera: How about this one? Chris Paul Bulls bound with Kuminga and 2025 first?

Sam: Kuminga is mad, Paul is out. And he matches LaVine without any guaranteed money for next season. I get the thought. I could see that for the Bulls to get a chance at the athletic Kuminga, but I’m pretty sure the Warriors wouldn’t be interested. Hey, maybe new GM and former Bull Mike Dunleavy Jr. will be here for Friday’s game with Golden State; we could ask him. I can see Paul’s NBA career about over unless he’ll take a veteran minimum of some sort and join up with buddy LeBron in LA for a season. Maybe he has to do that to keep his insurance commercial deal. It’s tough with all his injuries, but given the history you know they are inevitable. Paul’s contract is not guaranteed for next season, which is probably why the Warriors took the chance. With them in decline now and their luxury tax bill likely more than the budgets of several countries, they’re probably going to be cutting back. So they’re likely not taking on LaVine’s contract. You also hear the owner remains a big fan of Kuminga and there have been those Steve Kerr rumors. Hey, maybe join his old GM buddy now working with the NFL Commanders and coach them. Nobody gets more and better jobs than Steve.

Michael Freeman: Saw the Lakers vs. the Grizz the other night and it seems to me that LA has similar issues to the Bulls: 3 pointers-can’t shoot or stop them. They’re supposedly the LaVine destination but what do they have we’d want? I’d wait. If we must trade him, he will bring more at some time in the future. 

Sam: And thus the Zach conundrum. The complication that’s most stated is the length of his contact with big money at a time the salary cap penalties are increasing and leading some teams, and even the Warriors, to talk about retrenching. The consensus supposedly is that a growing Lakers dysfunction will force LeBron to become desperate and force the Lakers to make a major move, obtaining someone like LaVine, who is represented by the same agency as LeBron. That’s where the DeMar to the Lakers speculation comes up, too, because his is an expiring deal and less risk if the Lakers can’t put it together on the fly and have to rebuild around Bronny. The most speculated consensus deal for Zach is D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura to match salaries, which wouldn’t do much for the Bulls and seems unlikely on the Bulls part given both have contracts at least through next season. Maybe Hachimura, who I’ve liked. He could be a good scoring backup forward, but he has two years after this. It would be tough to get draft picks because when a team assumes a lot of salary it is considered the equivalent of talent and draft picks. Unless, of course, the NBA requires the Bulls to make the deal to help LeBron.

Guy Danilowitz: I don’t think the Bulls should blow it up and I love DeRozan but it makes no sense to not get whatever they can for him. Even in a best case scenario:  they continue this really solid play, Craig and Williams come back and contribute, they make the playoffs, pull an upset and win a round, far swept or lose 4-1 to a higher seeded team in the next round, no way they are re-signing DeRozan. Is the ceiling of a second round loss really worth keeping him? Why not see what Williams looks like at the 3 this season?  

Sam: I’m guessing that could be the biggest internal tug-of-way going on with the Bulls these days. It seems like they know what they want to do regarding LaVine, which has suggested a trade given all the smoke there’s fire stuff. It probably would surprise (and disappoint many), but most team managements don’t have these great plans. Many are like fans and rise and fall with the most recent result. And suddenly the results are very good for the Bulls. Zach’s back three games, all wins. So if this continues for a few weeks, don’t be surprised if given there hasn’t been much currency about a trade return that the Bulls decide to keep Zach and decide, what do you know, we have a Big Four! The conventional wisdom was get him back, playing well and the value increases. But the contract amount becomes a stumbling block. As for DeMar, the way the coaching staff uses DeRozan as the last shot guy suggests how much they value him. And not for good reason given as many big shots as he’s hit, but more than that the consistency of when you need a score or a basket he can get you one, or get to the line. That means a lot to coaches. And it’s not that DeRozan’s game, which is ground based and more in the half court, is going to age badly. He’s also this popular mentor managements like to have around, and he has shown a willingness to sacrifice as he did a few seasons with the Spurs. You are correct that at least as long as LaVine is around, DeMar is occupying the spot that Williams seems to covet. And Williams has faded to the bench and some obscurity again. We’ve seen with Coby White that opportunity can change some minds about what kind of player you are. If they do try to trade LaVine, DeRozan can move to the shooting guard position to also accommodate Williams. But are you better off there with a going on 35 half court player? Or a super athlete, three-point shooter like Zach? And as you suggest, what’s the ceiling being sought here; merely competing, or really winning? Often the more things get complicated the less dynamic they become. I would not be all that surprised the way things are going to see nothing change at the trade deadline next month and then waiting until summer to see how the playoffs go assuming the Bulls are included; and if they aren’t the decisions are then much easier to make. Trade deadline after all this noise the past month could well be quiet again for the Bulls.

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