Could Spurs Trade for Bulls Guard Coby White?
The San Antonio Spurs face a depleted point guard depth chart after trading away NBA All-Star Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks. Options like Tre Jones, Joshua Primo, and Blake Wesley each are potential options to rely on in 2022-23.
In NBA Summer League, neither Primo nor Wesley have shown to be ready to initiate a half-court offense and consistently make positive plays after generating rim pressure. While Wesley can get to the rim, he was highly inefficient at Notre Dame as a finisher and that execution has persisted on the Summer Spurs.
If the Spurs are willing to play through the 'growing pains' with Primo or Wesley during the upcoming season, it's certainly an option to do so. It would undoubtedly help their efforts to maximize their draft positioning in the short-term.
Adding another guard to bolster the competition within the depth chart would be worthwhile for the Spurs to consider. Jones has a limited ceiling while Primo is probably best suited as an off-ball player. As for Wesley, he's got work to do and needs to develop.
One option that could be intriguing is Coby White, who was selected No. 7 overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 2019 NBA Draft. He has averaged 13.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 195 career regular season appearances. His efficiency has improved each season but still could improve.
The Spurs are more in need of White's strengths as a scorer than the Bulls considering they already have names like DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic. Around their stars, they need 3-and-D impact and it's unclear how White is a clean fit over other options on the roster.
In a trade speculation piece, NBA Analysis Network put together a trade package that would send Coby White to the Spurs. In addition to White, the Bulls would send Marko Simonovic and a 2024 first-round pick (POR via CHI) in exchange for Jakob Poeltl.
San Antonio Spurs Receive: G Coby White, C Marko Simonovic, 2024 First-Round Pick (POR via CHI)
Chicago Bulls Receive: C Jakob Poeltl
If the Spurs were to trade Poeltl, it would likely need to include some sort of draft capital and a young player with potential. If San Antonio holds White in a positive regard, it could be worthwhile to entertain such a deal to add another talent at point guard.
Teams are notorious for not keeping promises made in July. Regardless, it is rather interesting that Goran Dragic was told he'd be receiving 20-25 minutes off the bench behind Lonzo Ball. With Alex Caruso and Ayo Dosunmu also in the fold, would it make sense to capitalize on White's trade value now?
It would be more advantageous for the Bulls to have a defensive contributor like Poeltl when Vucevic encounters a tough matchup. Both players will be be playing on expiring contracts in 2022-23. If Chicago ends up wanting to have an exit strategy for Vucevic, they could re-sign Poeltl for the long haul.
The Spurs could afford White a significant role and enable Primo and Wesley to play more in off-ball roles. If White ends up having a strong 2022-23 campaign, he could emerge as a core piece who is signed to a rookie contract. The Spurs would have his Bird rights when his contract ends.
You can follow Grant Afseth on Twitter at @GrantAfseth.
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