Coby White has been one of the Chicago Bulls‘ most consistent players over the past two seasons. The former seventh overall pick has become a 19-20 point per-night scorer and a reliable playmaker.
However, White will be entering the final year of his current three-year $36 million deal next season. With Josh Giddey expected to be paid in the summer, the Bulls may be looking at a financial logjam in the backcourt.
According to Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale, Chicago should look to trade White if they don’t expect to sign him to a new deal. White’s value will begin to drop after the summer due to the nature of his expiring deal.
“Coby White tops this list if the Chicago Bulls have their come-to-reality moment. He isn’t signing an extension when it can only start at $18.6 million in 2026-27, and they’re about to (presumably) pay Josh Giddey (restricted),” Favale wrote on March 18. “White’s trade value will drop as an expiring contract, but his next deal could get dicey if the Bulls remain stuck in their play-in phase. Smart people say the past is prologue, so we have to assume the Bulls won’t get out in front of White’s situation, if only because they’re already behind it.”
White has played in 61 games this season, 60 of them as a starter. He’s averaging 19.5 points, 4.5 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game. At 24 years old, he could be a core part of the Bulls’ backcourt moving forward. However, the front office must accept that he will undoubtedly want to explore his free agent market before re-signing with the franchise.
Bulls’ Tre Jones Could Also Put Pressure on White
Tre Jones has been impressive since arriving in Chicago as part of the Zach LaVine trade ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline. The 25-year-old has hit the ground running for his new team, averaging 11.3 points, 4.5 assists and 3 rebounds in his 16 games for the franchise thus far.
During a March 8 news conference, head coach Billy Donovan claimed that Jones has the ‘IT Factor.’
“He’s got something, he’s got the IT factor to me,” Donovan said. “He really does. He’s just a winner. You can look at size and length for position and he probably doesn’t have any of those things. But he has really good speed, he’s really tough, he’s got a high IQ, he understands competition. He can really stay in the moment and compete. The last two games on the road he’s been great. He’s got a lot of substance, a lot of competitive character to him.”
Jones is heading into unrestricted free agency this summer. Chicago will likely look into the possibility of keeping him around long-term. Unfortunately for White, that would mean the Bulls could potentially have Lonzo Ball, Giddey and Jones all tied down to new deals moving forward.
As such, White’s 2026 free agency could come at the wrong time. Unless the front office decides to move on from Ball in 12 months, there could very little wiggle room in terms of contract negotiations to ensure White is fairly paid.
Bulls’ Coby White is Likely Frustrated With Role
During a March 5 episode of ‘K.C.’s Mailbag’ for Chicago Sports Network, Bulls insider K.C. Johnson noted how White has likely been harboring some frustration with his current situation with the Bulls. White emerged as the team’s lead guard last season, only to be pushed back into an off-ball role this campaign due to the arrival of Giddey.
“Change has defined Coby White’s tenure with the Bulls,” Johnson said. “…Yes, in his mind, he put a lot of work in last season to become the lead option, the main playmaker. He had the ball in his hands a lot. His minutes were at a career high and his usage was at a career high, and what happens? The Bulls trade for Josh Giddey. I think privately, I think Coby has been frustrated at times. But, it’s been private.”
The Bulls front office has a tough decision to make regarding White’s future. Nevertheless, there is plenty of time for the franchise to pick a lane. Still, if there is ample interest in White’s services, and a potential trade could provide improvements elsewhere on the roster, exploring those opportunities wouldn’t be the worst decision.
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