Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - Has Coby White played his last game as a Chicago Bull?

Episode Date: February 4, 2026

Leila Rahimi and Marshall Harris wondered if the Bulls are about to trade away guard Coby White.

Rahimi Harrison Grody The great Kevin Harlan I just pulled through the Taco Bell Drive-thru and I've got a couple of big nasty Supreme Burritos right here waiting to beat. You know the first thing they ask you now are you using the app. The app,

no, I just want my burrito. I don't want to use an app. Bring a lot of mild sauce because I'm going to escort it all over the plate. Put some hot sauce on my burrito, baby. Rahimi Harrison Grody, Midday's 10 a.m. To 2 on the score. Nance turned it over down the floor.

Kobe White on Nance. Got it, count it. Fowl at Bulls Nation comes to life here in Milwaukee. That is the voice of Chuck Swirsky. This is Rahimi Harris and Grotie on 104-3 the score. And the Bulls did play a game last night. Is that what we're calling it? It happened.

They cut it to single digits, even though they were down by our. over 20 to a Milwaukee team that had, well, everybody sitting. Bulls end up losing by a final of 131 to 115. But one of the guys who did play in that game, and we were kind of surprised to hear, was indeed Kobe White. Kobe White drafted by the Bulls ahead of the 2019 season. He ended up playing 30 minutes in that game.

He had 21 points, 10 rebounds, three assists. So we are still trying to figure out since the Bulls do seem to now be in the business of getting rid of players on expiring contracts or trying to get something for them, which Kobe White is on an expiring deal, as is Ayur-Dissumu. Do we watch Kobe White,

one of the longest-tenured players in the city, play his last game as a bull? I would hope so, because everything that has happened up to this point, this season has led to this moment where you realize Kobe White, is not part of the team's future long term. And the deals, the one that specifically brought back Anthony Simons, who is a walking

bucket, who is a better and more efficient offensive player than Kobe, I think that seals it up for me. And so Kobe has given a lot. He has developed a lot. He has gotten a much better, become a much better player. And really, he's earned kind of this distinction as being synonymous with the Bulls for a period of time. And that's it.

He has been. He's also the last player left who wasn't an Arturis, Karnas Chavez, Mark Aversley, acquisition. That was under Gar-Pax, if you'll recall. Kobe was the Eastern Conference player the month in March. I love talking to him whenever we had him on. I feel like I've been talking to Kobe for years because he was still here when I was sideline reporting for the Bulls games.

So it is something where I do, yeah, you have some. around for a long time. You get used to who they are. You watch them more. That's just how it goes. You have a strong relationship watching him as a member of the team you cover or the team you watch than others. And so there is an attachment to Kobe White. There's also a confusion because we were wondering this time last year if Kobe was going to get traded. We didn't necessarily know what his fate was going to be in the offseason if there was going to be some sort of trade. This has been like this for a while, just trying to figure out again the direction of the Bulls. And then also So who fits in and how?

So Kobe White, thanks to our friend Joelle Lorenzi over at the athletic for giving us this audio because he was in Milwaukee last night, was asked about the Vukovic trade, sending him to Boston, and also what he meant to him as a teammate. Overall, I know there's something not official, official, but you spent a lot of time with Nikola Vuccivich over the years. Just kind of wondering what your thoughts of him as a teammate. obviously I've been with him for what four years we formed a really good relationship just from off the court to own the court

and he's he's he's I've been a guy that was a believer in me since day one since he got here so obviously going to miss him a lot like I said the relationship that we built on the other court you know me and his family his kids his wife so tough day but you know like everybody else

So I guess it's part of the business. So we're supposed to be robots about it, I guess. How do you handle your own individual well-being on the day like this? I mean, are you talking to an agent? Or are you just focusing on the game and not worrying about it? I'm trying to focus on the game. But obviously, you know, there's a lot of stuff going on like this. You know, it's hard not to think about.

But it's tough. I mean, like I said, I've been with Luz for a long time. So it's tough to see him go. You know, it's tough to see kids. I have got an relationship that we built. But, you know, you try to focus on the game and be there for my teammates. Is your mindset you want to stay here still? Yeah, I mean, obviously I want to be here.

Like I like I said, I love my teammates. But like I said, at the end of the day, like I've been saying this since, you know, I've been asking me, you know, the front office is going to do what they think is best for the team. And like I said, I want this team to do nothing but succeed. So whatever they feel is best for it for the team, you know what I'm saying. I just want to see everybody here win. You know what I love about the way he spoke, seeing this teammate go and understanding that his end is probably near? It's the same tone and the same sentiment in which he spoke about both Zach Levine and DeMarta Rosen,

players that were honestly blocking some of his ability to get his shots up and shot creation and everything else. And if you remember before Zach Levine got traded, he was kind of in and out of the lineup leading up to his trade at the deadline. and I just, I admire his professionalism and the growth of a guy who was so young when he was drafted by the Bulls and what he has become a young man. Yeah, he was 19 when he was drafted. People forget how young he absolutely was because he was a true one and done. And so he's grown with this team. We've seen it. We've talked to him about it.

You know, I've talked to him about it and how his good wasn't good enough for him. You know, there was an issue when it came to trying to figure. out who got the ball and when when DeMarre and Zach were on the team and I don't think it was out of fear. I think it was out of deference and respect. That was always my impression with it. And you know I felt differently about

Zach's role on this team because I didn't think it was as simple as, oh, he's bullhawk. No. No, watch the game and then you'll know why I think that. So getting back to that was he tried to do things to improve his own game and worked with

Bull's staff in Peter Patton and Mr. Dribble too much, who was famous on Instagram, he worked on his handle one year. You know, he then worked on his shot because he thought his three was too flat. And just because it was good enough in North Carolina, it was good enough to get him a lottery pick in the NBA, he wanted to be better.

So I'm not surprised at all. And when he says, I guess they want us to be robots about it, this is such a hard time for players. In every sport, the trade deadline is a hard time for athletes because you don't necessarily know who to trust. You have an agent, you can't necessarily even trust him because they're moving people too are trying to help. The biggest example is Rich Paul and Clutch. You know, that's a lot, a big reason why a lot of players get him.

So I say that to say, of course this is going to make him feel a certain way. It's hard to play the game when you don't know if you're even going to be playing for the same team. After that's the only one you've known. And you remember how they talked about him when he first got here. Jim Boylan would call him an athlete. You know, they didn't, that's a way of saying you, you don't necessarily know where you were supposed to put him. So then he worked on his skills to try to help that be defined. Well, yeah, he's clearly now defined as a combo guard who is deadly from three.

Although I think the mental side of this has taken its toll on Kobe White. Just in the last week plus, right, Layla, every time I watch him, he looks like a guy who's pressing. Understand this. As much as he's grown as far as skill efficiency over the last couple of seasons, specifically. This year, his average in points is down 18.6. His turnover's up to a career high, three turnovers a game. And she had last night. Listen, it's been bad. He's five for his last 27 from three, right? You could see the threes he was taken. They weren't just like barely off. There were some bad misses out there. And he's shooting a career low, 34.6% from three. I think

he needs that fresh. Let this be over this saga. Let me get my fresh start and get on with my career. I think that's where he is right now. Well, and that is part of this is when you, when you have the feeling that you didn't fit in the team's direction for, oh, I don't know, at least a year, how would that not weigh on anybody? I mean, the public comments from Arturz-Connor Chauvis talking about fitting a certain window and we're going to have way more flexibility, you look at your own contract. Oh, my contract will be up in that time period that AK is talking about. Well, and then positionally, look what happened. who did they acquire more of, guards.

So that would make it make sense. Now here's the thing though. Here's the rub. Is that number one? I think his numbers are partially down because of the calf issue that he's had. And we've seen how calves and Achilles are very much a problem in the NBA injury-wise.

It's why we're talking about Boston trading away and for Niece Simons, right? It's why the Indiana Pacers aren't the same without Tyreus Halberton. So the numbers may be a bit affected by the fact that he's still not 100% yet, which would make it make sense. And we know he's not because he's had to sit for this twice now. So I take that into consideration.

But altogether, the Bulls have also had situations where I think, like, for example, last year, I thought that they were going to flip Kevin Herder and Zach Collins. They did not. So they may think that they can flip other people, but I don't necessarily know that they'll be able to as quickly as they would like. Well, they certainly had their chance to flip Zach Collins in the office. season. They won't have a chance to flip his expiring contract now because he might not even play this season. So that's one like miss from AK. But you could see why that happened. I mean,

he was a very valuable piece of the Bulls when he was playing before he hurt his toe. I liked his defensive profile to compliment what Vooch did. Out of the gate, it made sense. Definitely. I love their double bigs line when they were playing that. That's when they were the most effective as a team. And looking at I.O. now, it's just I hope that his calf holds up for whoever he ends up playing for next. Yeah, Kobe, I mean, but when the, when Kobe's on, the Bulls are a remarkably better team. And we saw that last March. The reason they were winning games is because Kobe was healthy and he was making all the shots. Like that, that went together for a reason. He would also pace the offense well. I. Io paces the offense.

Well, we don't know if I had to Sumu. There's a chance he might be traded away at this time as well. although I think the likelihood is lower for him. I think Kobe White is the one who most likely gets dealt while we've still got a day plus here, a day in a few hours. Based on what happened yesterday, I wouldn't be surprised if both those guys get moved before Thursday's 2 p.m. deadline. But the difference is the Bulls are going to have to understand

that what they value players at is not necessarily what the league does. And I think we're starting to see that happen now in some of these deals. Yeah, if you even get for Kobe, let's say a second round pick and then a younger player that maybe isn't as developed.

Someone who's better than Daly and Terry but not as good as Kobe White or Trey Jones even. I understand it. We've gotten a couple of really good texts. 312-44-67. We'll let you keep the phones open as well. You leave yourself little time to figure out the future, says 773.

Simons is UFA and Ivy is RFA. FAA meaning free agent, unrestricted and restricted. And I think they know that, but you're right. And that's how they felt about, you know, they had to make a decision quick about Giddy. But I feel like some of these players, they've had their eyes on for a while as well. You know, and that may be part of it too. But again, do the Bulls value players a little bit differently than the rest of the league?

And that becomes the concern. At the end of the day, do you feel like the Bulls can scout? Do you feel like the Noah, a Senge pick, makes sense knowing Derek Queen exists? Like, do you trust their scouting? Well, or the double down on Patrick Williams. And I don't like picking on Patrick Williams in a way. But it comes back to kind of a similar thread that we've seen being woven with this Bulls team. I actually kind of want to get into it next if you're okay with it.

Sure. Because we're trying to figure out what's next. And those two actually play a part that's bigger than it probably should be. So we'll do that next year on Rahimi Harrison Grotie on 1043, the score.