This former North Carolina Tar Heels star could land with a championship contender before the NBA trade deadline.
Former North Carolina Tar Heels star Coby White could be on the move before the NBA trade deadline, and the Chicago Bulls my have found their trade partner.
Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times has reported that the Houston Rockets have emerged as one of the two top teams in the race for White, with the Minnesota Timberwolves also being involved.
The Rockets — who are championship contenders — definitely need a point guard, so it's not surprising that they are interested in White. But how much would they be willing to surrender in a deal for the North Carolina product?
White is in the final year of his contract and has missed extensive time this season due to a calf injury. In the 27 games he has played, he has been inconsistent, averaging 18.6 points and 4.8 assists on 44.4/36.1/79.9 shooting splits.
The 25-year-old did just recently put together a five-game stretch of scoring over 20 points each night, but he is now coming off of a couple of rough performances.
When healthy, White has proven to be a very solid scorer. But he isn't the greatest defender, and his contract situation will make it difficult for the Bulls to reap a significant return.
Chicago Bulls guard Coby White. Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images.White spent one season with the Tar Heels in 2018-19, registering 16.1 points and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 42.3 percent from the floor, 35.3 percent from three-point range and 80 percent from the free-throw line.
The Goldsboro, N.C. native was then selected by Chicago with the seventh overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft.
White bounced back and forth between the starting lineup and the bench the first four seasons of his professional career before finally becoming a full-time starter in 2023-24, which represented a breakout year for the floor general.
That season, White recorded 19.1 points and 5.1 assists per game on 44.7/37.6/83.8 shooting splits. He then posted 20.4 points a night while managing a true-shooting percentage of 60.1 percent last season.
White is expected to net $25-30 million per year in free agency, so whoever acquires him may very well be landing a rental.
There is no question that White can help a title contender, though. We'll see if Houston ends up being that team.
Tar Heels Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things North Carolina Tar Heels. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.