The Chicago Bulls went toe-to-toe with the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night, but despite a hard-fought effort, it was Aaron Nesmith who stole the show late, lifting the Pacers to a 113-110 comeback win. For Chicago, it was another close loss in a season full of them - and it drops them to 23-24 on the year.
After the game, the conversation naturally shifted toward the looming NBA Trade Deadline on February 5. Coby White, who's been one of the Bulls’ most consistent performers this season, was asked whether the team needs to make a move.
His response? Classic Coby - honest, but careful.
“You ain’t never going to get me to say nah,” White said with a smile. Translation: he’s not ruling anything out, but he’s not campaigning for change either.
White made it clear he still believes in this group. “Obviously, we’ve proved it.
We’ve beaten really good teams this year,” he said. “We’ve just got to continue to figure it out, make that push.
We’re still in the hunt. I think we’re, like, two or three games out of sixth, so we’re still in the hunt.”
He’s not wrong. The Eastern Conference standings are tight, and while the Bulls haven’t always looked like a playoff lock, they’ve shown enough flashes to make you believe there’s still something there - if they can put it all together.
White continued, “We’ve just got to keep competing. Like I’ve said, I love being here.
I love playing with these guys. We go out there every night and lay it on the line, and sometimes things don’t go your way, and sometimes they do.”
It’s a message Bulls fans have heard before, but coming from White - who’s having a breakout season - it carries weight. He’s averaging 18.8 points and 4.7 assists per game, and while his 14-point, 4-assist performance against Indiana wasn’t his flashiest, he remains one of the most reliable pieces in Chicago’s rotation.
Of course, White’s name has surfaced in trade rumors as the deadline approaches. Multiple teams - including the Timberwolves, Mavericks, Rockets, Clippers, and Cavaliers - have reportedly shown interest.
And it’s not hard to see why. He’s a versatile guard, still just 23, and playing on an expiring contract.
That makes him both a valuable asset and a potential flight risk, depending on how the Bulls view their long-term plans.
He’s not alone on the expiring contract list, either. Ayo Dosunmu, Nikola Vucevic, Kevin Huerter, Dalen Terry, Jevon Carter, and Zach Collins are all in similar contractual territory, which only adds to the uncertainty surrounding Chicago’s roster heading into the deadline.
But for now, it’s about the next game - and the Bulls won’t have to wait long. They host the Miami Heat on Thursday in a make-up game, and it’s another chance to prove they belong in the playoff conversation.
Whether this roster stays intact past February 5 is still up in the air. But if nothing else, Coby White and the Bulls are making it clear: they’re not backing down from the fight.