The Chicago Bulls have been linked to Jonathan Kuminga a lot. There are also swirling rumors about Coby White’s future with the team. In one fell swoop, one insider proposed a blockbuster trade that answers both of those questions and arguably sets the Bulls on the right path for the future.
With a contract decision coming up, Coby White’s future with the Chicago Bulls is anything but set in stone. He has been included in trade rumors all offseason. On the other hand, Jonathan Kuminga, who’s in the same boat that Josh Giddey just was, has been linked to Chicago amid the standoff with the Golden State Warriors.
What if those two just switched places? That’s the idea Bleacher Report insider Zach Buckley came up with. He proposed the Bulls send Coby White and Jalen Smith to the Warriors for Kuminga (sign-and-trade), Moses Moody, and a 2028 first-round pick.
“Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green all have two years left on their contracts, so the organization should feel much more urgency than the sticky situation with Kuminga otherwise reflects,” Buckley wrote, explaining why the Warriors might want to forego the future of Kuminga and look at win-now players.
“Regardless of one’s opinion of Kuminga and his impact on winning, losing an unprotected first always carries risk, and Moody is a proven, generally reliable contributor,” the insider continued, but that should be good news for the Bulls.
He views Smith and White as crucial pieces for the Warriors to maximize the final years of Steph Curry, with White in particular being just what they could use. As for Chicago, this is a bold move, but it’s one that the front office should be interested in.
“They should be distancing themselves from their prosaic present and pushing toward a brighter future. Betting on Kuminga’s ability to thrive in a larger, more consistent role than he’s handled in Golden State would be a big part of that plan,” Buckley wrote. “Adding the unprotected first might be an even bigger piece of the puzzle. And Moody is someone who can support a winning team whenever the Bulls are able to assemble one.”
All in all, this gives the Bulls a very valuable pick, another potential cornerstone that’s younger than White and will probably be cheaper, and a vet that can help everyone in the building. Losing White would sting, but in this case, it may be for the best.
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