It’s been almost two months since the Chicago Bulls finally traded Zach LaVine. The trade came to fruition after what felt like years of negotiations and balked trade offers. After all this time, the middling Bulls sent LaVine to the Sacramento Kings in a three-team swap in exchange for Zach Collins, Tre Jones (San Antonio), Kevin Huerter, and their own 2025 first-round draft pick—previously only top-10 protected.

The trade was met with criticism, and rightfully so. LaVine was in the midst of a career season, averaging 24.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists while making 51.1 percent of his field goals and 44.6 percent of his triples. LaVine’s otherworldly 63.7 true shooting percentage was a top-15 mark in the NBA.

The Bulls had to trade away LaVine despite a mediocre return

Still, despite the impressive numbers, LaVine’s three seasons and nearly $140 left on his contract were unbearable for a rebuilding team such as the Bulls. Chicago needed to get the two-time All-Star off their books by any means necessary, even if it meant acquiring three overpaid role players, two of which with multiple years remaining on their contracts.

Following the trade, results were lackluster, yet beneficial for Chicago’s future. The Bulls lost six of their next seven contests and finished February with three wins. Although the losses began to pile up, the Bulls’ lottery odds hardly improved.

Meanwhile, the so-so additions were exceeding expectations. Collins made a massive impact in a limited role, Jones upped his statistical output while maintaining his exceptional efficiency and assist-to-turnover ratio, and Huerter finally started knocking down threes at a high clip after struggling to find his footing in Sacramento to begin the season.

While the new additions’ contributions are all good and well, LaVine’s departure meant more for several guards already on Chicago’s roster—namely Coby White. It took the 25-year-old guard some time to grow into the alpha scorer role.

Coby White had benefitted most from Chicago’s decision to trade LaVine

In the three contests immediately following the trade, White averaged 23.0 points and 5.3 three-pointers per game. Early returns were positive. However, the sixth-year guard then encountered a cold stretch, which led those around to the league to question White’s role as a first or even second option. Over the Bulls’ next six games, White averaged 12.8 points while shooting 34.5 percent from the floor.

Then, came March. White gave a subtle alpha-scorer audition to end February, scoring 24 points. However, it took him 19 shots, including a 2-of-9 performance from downtown. His coming out party came seven days later when de dropped a career-high 44 points on the Orlando Magic.

The superfluous scoring numbers didn’t stop there. White scored at least 20 points in the Bulls’ next 11 contests. The entire 20-point streak lasted 15 games and over a month. White’s March was nothing short of spectacular. He earned two Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors, which culminated in an Eastern Conference Player of the Month Award.

The 6-foot-5 scoring guard averaged 27.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 3.1 three-pointers per game. White shot 49.5 percent from the field (his best in any month this season), and 37.9 percent from beyond the arc. Among the top 10 scorers in March, White’s true shooting percentage ranked first.

It took some time for White to grow into his new role, but that’s to be expected. He had suited up next to LaVine and DeMar DeRozan for most of his career. Even Nikola Vucevic routinely notched a higher usage rate than White until this season. The North Carolina product had never shouldered this kind of offensive responsibility—and it showed.

Nonetheless, White has lived up to the billing. He’s attempting nearly a pull-up jumper more per game and has doubled his drive and transition opportunities. 45.7 percent of White’s attempts came within 10 feet in March, a 15.0 percent uptick prior to the All-Star break. White averaged 9.8 points per game on drives last month, a 5.4-point per-game jump since LaVine was traded. He’s not only shooting the ball better with an increase in efficiency, he’s finding more ways to score.

The LaVine trade could and should now be considered addition by subtraction. Giddey’s progression isn’t even mentioned here, but it has been a hot topic over the last month. Chicago has seen several of its players reach new heights in an era post-LaVine, and no player has improved more while taking on a new role than White.