{"id":160848,"date":"2025-09-29T10:03:49","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T14:03:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=160848"},"modified":"2025-09-29T10:03:49","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T14:03:49","slug":"bulls-coby-white-set-to-test-free-agency-like-josh-giddey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/09\/29\/bulls-coby-white-set-to-test-free-agency-like-josh-giddey\/","title":{"rendered":"Bulls Guard Set To Face Similar Fate To Josh Giddey"},"content":{"rendered":"

CHICAGO \u2014 The Bulls<\/a> again stand at a crossroads. For over a decade, they\u2019ve hovered between mediocrity and faint contention. They never fully embraced a rebuild, despite glaring needs. Now, Coby White\u2019s<\/a> looming free agency could define their future. He wants to test those choppy waters according<\/a> to Joe Crowley of Chicago Sun Times.<\/p>\n

Bulls’ Coby White Set To Test Free Agency Like Josh Giddey<\/h2>\n
\"Coby
Apr 6, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan talks to guard Coby White (0) during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Nell Redmond-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Josh Giddey\u2019s<\/a> restricted free agency dominated headlines last summer. He eventually signed a four-year, $100 million contract, but only after months of uncertainty. White faces a similar path. Unlike Giddey, though, White will hit unrestricted free agency \u2014 a riskier scenario for Chicago.<\/p>\n

White\u2019s Contract Situation<\/h3>\n

White is entering the final year of his deal. He earns $12.8 million this season and is extension-eligible, but he has declined to sign one. Under NBA extension rules, the Bulls could only offer four years, $86.9 million, starting at $19.4 million. That figure lags far behind the market value White expects to command.<\/p>\n

Chicago knows the stakes. As The Stein Line<\/em> reported<\/a>, the Bulls anticipate White seeking more than $120 million next offseason. That expectation makes it unlikely he accepts a below-market extension.<\/p>\n

White\u2019s Rising Value<\/h3>\n

White delivered a breakout season last year, appearing in 74 games and averaging 20.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. He shot efficiently, including 45.3% from the field, 37% from three, and 90.2% from the line. Those numbers showed growth and consistency, pushing him beyond the role of a secondary option.<\/p>\n

Now 25, the former seventh overall pick from North Carolina holds career averages of 15.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. His development has placed him in a new salary tier, ensuring Coby White’s free agency becomes one of the most watched stories of 2026.<\/p>\n

Comparisons to Giddey<\/h3>\n

The Giddey comparison remains unavoidable. Last season, Giddey averaged 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists. He collected 30 double-doubles and seven triple-doubles, numbers that secured his nine-figure deal in free agency. White\u2019s scoring edge and upward trajectory suggest he may demand even more. White, like Giddey, will get paid via free agency in a league increasingly more ‘extension-centric.’<\/p>\n

The Bulls, however, cannot ignore the risk. If White plays at an All-Star level, cap-rich teams will chase him. That could force Chicago into paying far above extension numbers or risk losing him outright.<\/p>\n

Bulls\u2019 Next Steps<\/h3>\n

The team\u2019s approach seems clear. They\u2019ll monitor White\u2019s production, gauge his market, and adjust. White has stated no interest in extending early, which keeps the pressure on Chicago.<\/p>\n

If he re-signs, the Bulls retain a cornerstone guard. If he bolts, it signals another missed opportunity in team-building. Either way, Coby White’s free agency looms as the pivotal decision that will shape Chicago\u2019s next era.<\/p>\n

CHICAGO \u2014 The Bulls again stand at a crossroads. For over a decade, they\u2019ve hovered between mediocrity and faint contention. They never fully embraced a rebuild, despite glaring needs. Now, Coby White\u2019s looming free agency could define their future. He wants to test those choppy waters according to Joe Crowley of Chicago Sun Times. Bulls’ […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":160854,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608,8,3,4721],"tags":[1782,4276,50251,297],"class_list":["post-160848","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-bulls","category-news","category-trade-rumors","tag-coby-white","tag-josh-giddey","tag-nba-contract","tag-nba-free-agency"],"modified_by":"Frederick Okocha","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160848","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=160848"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160848\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":160856,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160848\/revisions\/160856"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/160854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=160848"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=160848"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=160848"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}