The Chicago Bulls have had a relatively quiet summer while pursuing a new deal with restricted free agent Josh Giddey, but Coby White’s extension could also present major challenges for the team.
White is eligible for a four-year, $89 million extension this offseason, though it appears more likely that he’ll pursue a bigger payday in unrestricted free agency next summer. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft is coming off a career-best year as the Bulls’ top scoring option following Zach LaVine’s trade to the Sacramento Kings in February.
White averaged 20.4 points, 4.5 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.9 three-pointers while shooting 45.3 percent from the field across 33.1 minutes per game in 74 regular-season appearances in 2024-25. At just 25 years old, he’s expected to receive a much more lucrative contract in free agency next summer, making it unlikely he agrees to a team-friendly extension.
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The Bulls got a solid discount when they signed White to a three-year, $36 million deal in July 2023. However, Austin McGee of Pippen Ain’t Easy believes that the North Carolina product won’t be willing to sign a team-friendly deal this time around.
“The Bulls will be forced to either pony up and re-sign White to a potentially monstrous deal or be prepared to let him walk for next-to-nothing after seven seasons in Chicago,” he wrote. “It’ll be a tough pill for the Bulls to swallow, yet one that they must come to terms with.”
Chicago has missed the postseason in seven of the past eight seasons and fallen in the Play-In Tournament each of the last three. The Bulls remain in a rebuilding phase, and White could contribute to a playoff-caliber team on a more lucrative deal elsewhere.
Ultimately, it may be smarter for the Bulls to focus on their rebuild rather than offer a substantial deal to White. While another discount remains a possibility, most signs point to him testing the open market next summer.
