For weeks Golden State Warriors fans have viewed Coby White as a strong potential target in any Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade, but any hope of that may remain dead in the water despite the elongated nature of the 22-year-old's free agency.
The Chicago Bulls re-emerged as a team to monitor in the Kuminga stakes late last week, with NBA insider Jake Fischer reporting that the young forward's camp had tried to angle for a way in which both he and Josh Giddey would get paid together in the Windy City.
The Warriors are unlikely to get their hands on Coby White
With speculation around a potential move to the Sacramento Kings having died down, and with the Phoenix Suns not holding the necessary assets to satisfy the Warriors in a trade, the Bulls might remain the most likely team to acquire Kuminga if they can get Giddey's future resolved first.
But even if that is the case, don't count on Golden State landing White whose stature as a 20-point scorer combined with his $12.8 million expiring contract makes a trade both exciting and realistic from a Warrior standpoint.
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints suggested on Monday that "it has been made clear that Chicago doesn't hold interest in trading White" despite a potential issue looming in having to pay both he and Giddey big money beyond next season.
When you consider the multitude of alternative guards that the Warriors have been linked to over recent weeks, maybe they've got an indication from the Bulls that White is essentially off limits whether in a Kuminga trade or otherwise.
Perhaps Golden State also have little interest in the 25-year-old given they'd have to give him a big new extension, instead focusing their attention on more veteran-type guards on small, short-term contracts.
The Warriors had been linked to both Bradley Beal and Damian Lillard once they suddenly became available, only for the multi-time All-Stars to sign with Western Conference rivals in the L.A. Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers respectively.
There's also surging speculation that Golden State could have interest in free agent Malcolm Brogdon, with the veteran guard perhaps available on a minimum contract after two injury-plagued seasons.
If the Warriors do have significant interest in Brogdon while also expecting a reunion with former guard De'Anthony Melton, then that's as big a sign as any that the Bulls have crushed any thought of a Kuminga-for-White swap, or that Golden State don't have much interest in that themselves.
