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Coby White of the Chicago Bulls is dealing with a new injury.
The Chicago Bulls have a strange season of currently playing for a play-in seed while also prioritizing the future. Chicago is expected to shop guard Coby White at the trade deadline since they don’t plan to pay him the money he desires as a free agent in the offseason. Multiple teams need a point guard, and White’s contract makes him an easier candidate to acquire than other names like Ja Morant and Trae Young having larger salaries.
The Minnesota Timberwolves stands out as a team strongly interested in White, but Clutch Points reports that the Bulls have a specific asking price:
“Right now, they’ve wanted an unprotected first-round pick for Coby White. Even though he is in the final year of his contract, they feel that he is that type of value and that type of player where if they move him, he’s going to be the same type of player that he’s been for the Bulls.”
Minnesota’s interest in White comes from the asking price being lighter than the other teams currently fielding offers for their star point guards. White is a good player, but he’s not at that level to ruin the Timberwolves’ depth by losing too much talent. However, time will tell if the steep price of a completely unprotected first round pick will be offered from Minnesota.
Why Minnesota Wants Coby White
The Timberwolves currently have a strong chance for success in the Western Conference and have made the Western Conference Finals the previous two seasons. One glaring flaw shows the lack of a point guard sometimes hurting them in close games, especially when superstar Anthony Edwards goes to the bench.
Players like Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and Bones Hyland try to help run the offense at various points by taking over the ball handling duties. Unfortunately, they lack a true point guard to take pressure off Edwards and help facilitate shots for others.
White presents the perfect middle ground of someone who enjoys playing point guard, but he’s content with playing off ball when Edwards is running the offense. Minnesota would be able to easily match salaries without ruining their depth for a point guard.
Will Minnesota Trade For Coby White
An unprotected first-round pick is quite valuable in today’s NBA, but Minnesota is in a different situation than most teams. Edwards thriving as a young superstar over the past few years confirms they’ll be attempting to contend every season for the foreseeable future to make their draft picks a tad less valuable.
However, one injury or a disappointing season can see the draft pick becoming valuable. Timberwolves management must weigh the pros and cons of risking a draft pick to make White their missing piece in rounding out the starting lineup.
Another element is paying White in the offseason once he hits free agency. Chicago is trading White due to knowing they won’t pay his desired financial figure on the open market. Minnesota can only make this move if they have confidence in signing him long-term as part of the core moving forward.
Joey Haverford Joey Haverford is a seasoned sports content writer with over 12 years of experience. He has covered the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NFL, and professional wrestling in the sports industry. More about Joey Haverford
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