Coby White is blossoming into a bona fide star in the NBA right before the Chicago Bulls’ very eyes. He’s on an outstanding tear recently, averaging 29.3 points over his past 13 games. He has also been able to play with and without the ball in his hands, an enviable, moldable trait that teams look for. He has, unfortunately, played his way into a difficult spot for the Bulls to navigate moving forward.
Coby White is in a tough spot moving forward, NBA insider says
Coby White is playing as well as anyone on the planet right now, and both he and the Chicago Bulls are red-hot. This streak is long enough and his play has been good enough that he looks like a burgeoning star. One NBA insider thinks that presents a tough problem for Chicago.
“White may not be a franchise player, but the archetype of player that he is could certainly mimic one. The fact that he’s reached this level, though, is why the Bulls find themselves in a bind,” Yahoo! Sports’ Morten Stig Jensen said.
There are ultimately three options the Bulls can pursue. They can trade him. This would spark some unrest in the fanbase, and it would result in a lower return now based on his contract status. The team getting him would get one playoff year of White instead of two had he been traded before the deadline.
The second option raised by Jensen was to let him enter unrestricted free agency. Of course, this basically means giving up on a rising star and a fan favorite because he might end up being worth more than the Bulls can realistically afford.
White has been on a rapid ascension, but is he worth maximum money from his original team? Jensen isn’t sure if the Bulls know the answer or not. This would give them a different set of problems, particularly with Josh Giddey being in a similar contractual situation. Both young players could do with an extension or a new deal somewhere, and the Bulls might have a difficult choice.
The third option is to extend him on a max contract, but there’s no telling whether or not White is or will be worth that. He finds himself in a really difficult middle ground right now. He’s clearly the Bulls’ best player and he’s slowly becoming a star in the NBA, but he hasn’t reached that level yet, and it’s nearly time to make a decision.
If White were an All-NBA-caliber guard now, the decision would be easy. He’s not, though, even if it seems like he might one day get there. The Bulls have to determine whether or not they think he can get there or if they can afford to pay him even if he doesn’t.
Jensen added in closing, “The Bulls will have to make a decision this summer on how to proceed. Because make no mistake, the sharks are circling, and rightfully so.”
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