Heat gets: Coby White.
Bulls acquire Nikola Jovic and Simone Fontecchio.
The 25-year-old no longer appears to be a part of the long-term plans, thanks in large part to the fact that he will be eligible for unrestricted free agency following the 2018 season,” Buckley said. “Maybe this encourages the Bulls’ brass to obtain something for White now rather than risk losing him for nothing later. Jović’s stature (6’10”), shot-making, and ball-handling skills are intriguing, while Fontecchio’s three-point percentage (33.5, down from 40.1 in 2023-24) shows potential for improvement.
White has had back-to-back successful seasons for the Bulls. Last season, White averaged 20.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. He fired 45.3% from the field and 37 percent from deep
White is heading toward unrestricted free agency.
One reason the Heat are unlikely to trade for White this season is that he is set to become unrestricted free agency. Miami would need assurances that he would re-sign with the team, especially since they are giving up Jovic as part of the transaction.
Furthermore, there would need to be confidence that White could fit into Erik Spoelstra’s squad. After all, you don’t want to commit him to a long-term contract if he’s going to struggle like Rozier has.
However, if White is willing to re-sign with the Heat and Miami believes he can be a valuable member of the team, a deal might benefit both parties.
The Heat previously refused to trade Jovic.
Another stumbling block for Buckley’s plan could be the Heat’s refusal to trade Jovic. Heat source Barry Jackson recently said that the Heat refused to include Jovic in a trade package for Kevin Durant.
“Per source with direct knowledge, Heat was willing to offer Wiggins, Rozier, Highsmith, Jaquez and 20th pick in June’s draft for Durant & Cody Martin,” Jackson relayed to X. According to Shams, the Suns sought Jaquez, Jović, Highsmith, the 20th selection, and a pick swap (including Wiggins and Rozier). SO Jovic and Kasparas J. need to justify Heat’s difficult decision.
If Pat Riley didn’t want to include Jovic in a deal for Durant, it’s difficult to imagine him altering his mind in a move for White. As a result, a hypothetical trade offer for White is unlikely to include Jovic as part of the exit package. Clearly, the Heat’s front staff rates him highly.
Fortunately, Miami has a plethora of youthful talent to offer in a deal. So, if White becomes a goal for the franchise, they should have enough assets to get the Bulls front staff to the negotiation table.
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