Chicago Bulls Off Day: Coby White's Trade Value Increasing? Top 5 Hardest SOS, More

The Chicago Bulls may sit at an underwhelming and familiar 20-22, but there continues to be no lack of storylines to discuss with this group.

Let's use this off day to hit on three important topics, starting with the rocky season for one of the team's most important players.

Welcome Back Coby White

Coby White of the Chicago Bulls — Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) makes a three point shot against the Brooklyn Nets during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

It's been a tough 2025-26 campaign for Coby White. The combo guard started this year with high expectations after taking another sizable step forward one year prior. Particularly once Zach LaVine was sent to Sacramento at the trade deadline, White showed a new bag of tricks. He took over as the team's leading scorer, demonstrating encouraging growth as a steady ball-handler and three-level scorer. We watched him break down teams in the halfcourt, significantly increase his trips to the free throw line, and repeatedly come through in clutch moments.

It's not an understatement to say that a potential All-Star run felt on the horizon for White. But then the injury bug bit. White suffered a mild calf strain in August that would hold him out of the team's first 11 games. Once able to return, the Bulls took things slowly with the 25-year-old, limiting his minutes and holding him out of back-to-back sets.

Even with the added precautions, however, White still suffered an injury to his opposite calf that forced him to miss a couple more games. Then, after finally playing in his first back-to-back of the season, he was forced to leave the following game early due to tightness flaring up in the calf that originally forced him out.

The Bulls have thus remained extremely cautious with White. They have started to hold him out of back-to-backs again, and he has only clocked more than 30 minutes once in the last five games. Speaking of which, White has also recorded uncharacteristic single-digit scoring nights in two of these five contests, underscoring just how hard it's been for him to find a rhythm amid the injury trouble.

Nevertheless, Sunday night's win over the Brooklyn Nets was a very encouraging sign. White finished the evening with 24 points on a season-best 7-11 shooting effort from downtown. On top of that, he added 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals in his 29 minutes of action. Chicago would go on to beat Brooklyn for the first time this season, 124-102. Their previous two losses have come largely because of the discrepancy behind the arc. But White did what he does best and eliminated that concern on Sunday.

The shotmaking showcase feels like an important reminder to teams around the league of what White is capable of. He drained one off the DHO, nailed a crazy stepback, sunk a one-dribble pull-up, and easily converted multiple catch-and-shoot looks. If you're a team in need of a scoring boost and a versatile shotmaker, White continues to be sitting there for the taking.

With that said, consistency is key. If the Chicago Bulls want to maximize their return for White in the lead-up to February 5, they are sure hoping that his latest outing is a sign that the rust has been removed. White is certainly hoping for the same thing, by the way. On an expiring deal and looking to ink a long-term deal this summer worth upwards of $30+ million, now is the time to get back on track. We just passed the halfway mark, which means the next 40 games are going to play the strongest part in determining his future paycheck.

A Season-HIgh in Dimes

Isaac Okoro of the Chicago Bulls — Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Isaac Okoro (35) prevents the ball from going out of bounds against the Brooklyn Nets during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

Despite Josh Giddey sitting in street clothes, the Chicago Bulls' offense was firing on all cylinders Sunday night. They shot 52.0 percent from the field and made 20+ threes for the fourth time this season. How did they manage to do just that? Well, playing a depleted and young Brooklyn team sure helps, but the Bulls' ball movement was as good as we've seen it this season.

When the final buzzer sounded, Chicago had a ridiculous 41 assists. Not only does that match the team's season-high from their 152-point outburst against the Atlanta Hawks, but it's only the third time they have reached that mark since 2008, per Stathead.

Once again, the fact that they were able to generate this kind of ball movement without Giddey is pretty darn impressive. But I suppose it speaks to the identity head coach Billy Donovan and Company have established behind the scenes. Even if this is starting to feel like another lost year, there is something to be said about building a culture and style. Tre Jones also deserves a lot of the praise for his consistently efficient playmaking. A team rarely has a backup point guard as capable of setting the table as him. It's why one has to wonder if a guard-needy team could see him as a worthwhile trade target in the coming weeks.

Regardless, the way the Bulls want to play has never necessarily been a problem, especially with Giddey as the focal point. If this mediocre roster has shown anything, it's that this brand of basketball can work and can help you pull off some tight wins in crunch time (tied for third in clutch victories with 14). In other words, there is a competitive floor you can establish when playing this way, so imagine what could happen if you improve the talent?

Time to Tank?

Speaking of which, the Chicago Bulls must look to improve their talent pool in the coming weeks. And, to be clear, this doesn't have to mean targeting players in the trade market who can make an immediate impact. I think we can all agree that doing that would not be in their best interest.

Instead, the Bulls are in a perfect position to take a long-term view and work hard to add future assets that can help them compete down the road. Might this mean taking a flyer on a young, change-of-scenery candidate? Sure. We have seen this pay off thus far with Josh Giddey. However, a more standard protocol would be stashing up on draft capital by any means necessary. Not only does this give you more throws at the dart board for high-upside talent, but it also gives you more assets to potentially trade for bigger pieces in the near future.

Everything is connected in the NBA. The Bulls have refused to prioritize draft capital in recent years, insisting that they want to remain competitive. All this has done, though, is lead them back to the same spot. You have to try something new, and there is a reason that most successful rebuilds in recent years started with the draft.

Indeed, this is why the Bulls should be eager to move on from a handful of their expiring contracts and current contributors. Tanking may not be everyone's favorite, but the fact of the matter is that many teams around the league embrace it. You're only putting yourself further behind the 8-ball by consistently refusing to join the club.

I have to imagine the Bulls are also well aware of their upcoming schedule. Tankathon currently has them holding the fifth-hardest strength of schedule for the remainder of the season. To put it differently, there is a good chance the losses are coming no matter what! So why not go all-in on player development and try to improve your chance at a Top 5 pick in the process? If there is any draft to do it, this would be the one!