Coby White has been fantastic for the Bulls since his return from injury. His impressive scoring has brought the Bulls offense back to a respectable level, and it's already leading to wins. So far, he has been everything the Bulls hoped for, and they are 2-1 since his return, with surprising wins in Portland and Denver. White is in a contract year and is quickly making the case for a huge payday after this season.
How much is Coby White worth?
The Bulls spent the last offseason in a lengthy negotiation with Josh Giddey over his eventual contract extension. In the end, they re-signed him for four years and $100 million, a price tag that he's lived up to this season with his All-Star level of play. Next summer, White will enter unrestricted free agency and likely seek as much as Giddey, if not more.
Going back to last season, White has proven himself as an alpha scorer for the Bulls. After Zach Lavine was traded, White really came into his own. In the last 31 games of the season after that trade, he averaged 23 points per game on remarkable efficiency—48 percent from the field and 38 percent from three on high volume and high difficulty.
Now, he's continuing his momentum after being sidelined with a calf strain for the Bulls' first 11 games. In two games since his return, White is averaging 26 points per game and seven assists per game while shooting 45 percent from the field and 47 percent from three. Of course, it's still too early to predict what his season averages will look like, but it's clear that White is determined to prove himself to the Bulls and the rest of the NBA.
White's elite shooting and overall scoring elevate the Bulls' offense to another level. Although Giddey has been a great playmaker and shown more scoring aggression this season, he's best creating in the open court. The Bulls had struggled in the halfcourt prior to White's return because they lacked a proven go-to scorer. As White proves himself more in that No.1 scoring role, especially if he can be an improved playmaker, the Bulls front office and others will notice.
White is currently on one of the best value contracts in the NBA, but it's no secret that he wants to be paid closer to his actual production on the court. Expect to see him at his best and most aggressive once he is fully healed from his calf injury. If he can maintain a level of play similar to his first 2 games back, the Bulls will have some major financial decisions to make next summer about paying big money for their backcourt of the future.