This offseason for the Chicago Bulls has largely revolved around restricted free agency concerns with Josh Giddey. The young guard and the team have not seen eye to eye on how much he’s worth, and there are still many ways the situation can resolve. Unfortunately for the Bulls, this story could repeat next year when Coby White becomes an unrestricted free agent.
How much is Coby White worth?
White has broken out in a big way over the past two seasons and finished last season averaging over 20 points per game. He has definitely outplayed his current contract of $12 million per season and will be seeking a big payday when he hits unrestricted free agency. Some reports even have him wanting over $30 million per season, a hefty price tag for a guy who hasn’t thoroughly proven himself as a winner in the NBA yet.
Josh Giddey has been looking for a contract extension in the same ballpark, which causes a pretty big financial issue for the Bulls. Even if they’re able to negotiate both players down to about $25 million per season, that’s still $50 million per season tied up in two players. That would be almost one-third of next season’s salary cap for a backcourt that shows promise but hasn’t proven anything yet.
Both Giddey and White are dynamic young guards with borderline elite skills in some areas: playmaking for Giddey and pull-up 3-point shooting for White. Yet neither are strong defenders, and their offensive strengths may not be enough to offset that shared weakness.
Unfortunately for the Bulls, they seem to have once again stumbled into players who are good but not great. Both of their young guards want to be paid like top young players in the league, and maybe they would live up to those contracts on different teams.
But when those guys are asked to be the leading forces of the Bulls, they are simply not good enough for the front office to see a path towards meaningful playoff contention. Overpaying for Giddey now can handicap the team’s financial resources for years to come when they should be maximizing their flexibility for a rebuild. And paying Coby White what he wants next year is likely to have the same effect.
In a perfect world, Giddey and White could be elite secondary options next to a true superstar talent or prospect. But the Bulls currently lack that true blue-chip talent, and keeping Giddey or White around at a high price tag may hinder their ability to find one or develop another young player into one.
As frustrating as this offseason has been for Bulls fans, next offseason could be more of the same with a different guard at the center of the drama. Time will tell how the Bulls plan to resolve both the Giddey and White situations.