Coby White had his moments in the Bulls’ preseason victory Sunday in Toronto.
White was a plus-19 off the bench, he made a step-back jumper to keep the momentum going early in the fourth quarter and, of course, there was the playmaking. It was one of his better playmaking displays since last March.
White had six assists, and they all were timely in the 115-98 comeback win against the Raptors.
The thing is, there are always moments from the North Carolina product.
That’s why White’s next few months could be so intriguing to follow.
Eligible for a rookie-contract extension, he was the Bull mentioned most often in trade rumors during the offseason. White is a much-needed three-point presence off the bench, but he’s also susceptible to turnovers and shaky defensive moments.
So how has the seventh overall pick from the 2019 draft handled all the uncertainty this preseason? In his customary fashion: by keeping his head down and working.
This summer was the first one in years in which White simply could focus on basketball, and he’s hoping it shows when the regular season starts next week.
“[This offseason has] been important to me,’’ White said. “My first offseason was COVID, and last year I tore my labrum, so it was good to just get back in the gym and focus on working on my game. I haven’t been able to do that since college. It was a good summer, and I felt like I put in a lot of work, time and effort, and hopefully this season it will translate over, and I can showcase the work I put in.’’
That’s when it will get interesting.
In July, when it was reported that White was included in several trade scenarios but pulled off the market when the front office didn’t like the return, the Bulls were dealing from a position of strength.
Lonzo Ball’s left-knee issue was a fluid situation, but there were no indications a second surgery would be needed, Zach LaVine was a max-contract recipient, Ayo Dosunmu was putting together an impressive offseason, Alex Caruso was healthy and Goran Dragic was on the radar in free agency.
It was a crowded guard room, to say the least.
Now fast-forward to training camp.
Ball is out of the mix to start the regular season, Dragic is up there in age and there are always health concerns with LaVine and Caruso. So White’s best ability could be availability.
“Worked on my body more coming into camp,’’ White said. “Being injured last year was hard for me, so I learned to appreciate the game more. I’m just trying to take advantage of the opportunity I have.’’
In the preseason — White left the opener against the Pelicans early with a leg bruise — Caruso and Dragic were the first guards off the bench in the first two games, and Dosunmu started at the point in place of Ball.
Dragic sat out the game against the Raptors, which gave White the early call.
Rookie Dalen Terry has flashed some point-guard abilities late in games, adding another player to the battle for backcourt minutes.
White, however, remained the second unit’s best outside shooter.
So are the Bulls poised to walk away from White with an in-season trade or after the season, when he can become a restricted free agent without an extension?
Considering Heat reserve guard Tyler Herro just signed a four-year, $130 million extension off his rookie contract and has similar scoring numbers to White, some tough decisions await.
