The Chicago Bulls made two trades on Tuesday afternoon that indicate star guard Coby White could be on the move – and the Hawks should pursue him.
White isn’t the best player rumored to be available on the market (Giannis Antetokounmpo), nor is he the best fit (Walker Kessler), but he is on an expiring contract. This is music to Onsi Saleh’s ears.
Saleh has laid out a clear trade deadline plan. He isn’t afraid to make moves, as shown by the Vit Krejci trade on Sunday morning, but he isn’t swinging for the fences. Instead, he’s prioritizing two areas: cap flexibility for next season and future assets.
White helps the Hawks in both regards.
Coby White is the perfect Onsi Saleh target
Onsi Saleh’s path forward for the team will change depending on the outcome of the 2026 draft. Atlanta has a chance to draft an MVP-caliber player, meaning it would be wise to hold off on any big moves until we know who this player is.
For example, if the Hawks draft Darryn Peterson, a player like White would be redundant. If the Hawks draft Cam Boozer, suddenly White’s perimeter scoring would be quite handy.
White is on an expiring $12.9 million contract, which means Atlanta could trade for him and simply wait to make their decision. If he is a good fit with Jalen Johnson and the new rookie, Atlanta could go over the cap to sign him by using his Bird rights.
The Hawks would decrease their nominal cap space with a White trade, but they could use accounting/cap wizardry by leverage his Bird rights to spend more on salaries than they currently can. This would require follow up moves, such as allowing Kristaps Porzingis to walk, but it could certainly be an intriguing opportunity for Saleh. After all, if White isn’t a good fit, Atlanta can simply let him walk in free agency.
White would also be an extremely cheap asset to acquire, in part due to his looming contract expiration.
No team is going to spend a first round pick on White, who could leave in free agency or leverage his high trade price into an overpaid contract. The asking price is likely two second round picks – conveniently, exactly what the Hawks got in return for Vit Krejci.
If you reframe the trade as Krejci for White, suddenly the pair of moves look like a home run (even if it is only a three-month rental). As an asset, the chance to retain White is probably more valuable than two second round picks.
There is no guarantee White is on the market, but Chicago just acquired Anfernee Simons and Jaden Ivey – two guards who fill White’s role. It seems destiny for White to move on. The question is, will Saleh find the price low enough to bring him to ATL?