Kobe White trade Hawks have to make with Bulls after Trae Young blockbuster

The The Atlanta Hawks marked the end of an era by trading Trea Young at perhaps his lowest trade value; they got CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert in return from the Washington Wizards, and the fact that they didn’t get a single first-round pick, not even a heavily protected one, speaks volumes for how the league views Young.

For what it’s worth, The Hawks found their identity without Youngand they rely on it even more now that he is no longer with the team. Atlanta is all-in on its defensive-minded, long core led by Jalen Johnson, Nikhil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels and Onyeka Okongwa, with McCollum (and Kispert) coming in to fill the offensive gaps needed after Young’s departure.

However, the Hawks may not be wheeling and dealing quite yet. They are involved in rumors of a trade for a star of the caliber of Anthony Davis, indicating their desire to strengthen their frontcourt. Alas, Davies’ finger injury, which now forces him out of action for several weeks, effectively removes him from the Hawks’ wish list, at least for this current campaign.

Atlanta could then continue to upgrade on margins that shouldn’t cost them too much in terms of future funds. With that said, here is the exchange for Chicago Bulls guard Coby White it gives them a McCollum-like player who fits their schedule better.

Hawks redirect CJ McCollum in trade with Bulls for Kobe White … with a twist

Hawks take over: Kobe White, Nikola Vucevic

Bulls take: CJ McCollum, 2026 SAS first-round pick (SAS owns ATL’s first-round pick this year via pick swap), 2026 BOS/IND/MIA second-round pick, 2029 CLE second-round pick

McCollum just got to the Hawks, so one would think that he is not very likely to be diverted to another team. The 34-year-old full-back may not be the player he once was, but his veteran experience and goal-for-goal feel fit quite well with the team. For a team with so many young players, McCollum’s voice could be helpful moving forward.

The Hawks could also decide to bring back McCollum when he hits free agency at the end of the season; he shouldn’t cost nearly as much as the $30 million he’s making in the final year of his contract.

But McCollum is on the decline of his career and will turn 35 before the start of next season. The Hawks might prefer to keep a similar archetype of player around, but someone younger. Enter Beli.

White is dealing with significant injury issues this year, but he’s as close to player McCollum as it gets. The main difference is that the current Bulls guard is almost nine years younger than McCollum, although they play very similarly and put up eerily similar averages this season.

Both are also in the final year of their current contracts, and White has significantly more upside given his youth. And with the Hawks looking to build themselves a sustainable winning team, having someone like White who is arguably just entering the prime of his career could be beneficial in terms of having a more assured level of production.

It’s not entirely clear how much White would command on the market, but with Young not bringing much in the way of a return, it’s unlikely the Bulls guard would either. That should make White even more attractive as a trade target for the Hawks. The obstacle, however, is that McCollum is making almost $18 million more than White, which requires Chicago to send another piece to make the salaries work.

This is where the purchase of Nikola Vucevic for the Hawks comes into play. Vucevic is the antithesis of what the Hawks are building. He is a power forward who has never been known to protect the rim. And at 35, he is what he is — with a significant flaw given that he’s a big man approaching the wrong side of his 30s.

But Atlanta needs a big man in the middle the uncertainty of Kristaps Porzingis’ situation. With Porzingis inserted and out of the lineup due to his chronic illness, the Hawks relied on Johnson, Mo Gueye and even rookie Asa Newell to play minutes at the five behind Okongwu.

This is not exactly a safe situation for the Hawks, as neither of them are natural centers. The Hawks aren’t exactly a tall team in the frontcourt, as Okongwu is only 6’8″.

Vucevic’s arrival solidifies the Hawks at center and bolsters their depth so Porzingis can recover from POTS. Okongwu could play with any big man anyway, and that would free up head coach Quin Snyder to play bigger and longer lineups centered around Johnson’s growing playmaking skills.

For the Bulls, they have refused to trade Vucevic at every stop, and at this point, he’s more likely to leave via free agency when his contract expires at the end of the season. They might as well package him with White if it meant getting a first-round pick, even a late one, in return.

The San Antonio Spurs pick, which the Hawks will likely get, since San Antonio owns the swap rights thanks to the Dejounte Murray trade and they’re significantly better than Atlanta, won’t be worse than 25, barring a late collapse. Atlanta’s roster is already loaded with solid contributors, so bringing in another first-rounder doesn’t make much sense.

Meanwhile, the Bulls could use this late first-rounder to add to their young core. This also solidifies them as a rebuilding team after years of being stuck in the middle.

The Hawks will then have their first shot at keeping White for the foreseeable future, which they should have given that they are parting ways with the future in this scenario. And if Porzingis’ illness does make him a part-time NBA player for the rest of his career, owning Vucevic’s rights to Bird makes it much easier to re-sign him as Okongwu’s backup next season.