Coby White wants to remain with Bulls in free agency originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Coby White, like Nikola Vučević and Ayo Dosunmu, is looking for a new contract.
The once No. 7 overall pick for the Bulls in the 2018 NBA draft is out of his rookie deal and will become a restricted free agent this summer. The Bulls will have the right to offer him a qualifying offer and match any offer sheet White finds in free agency.
With so many question marks surrounding the state of the franchise this summer, how does White feel about his free agency?
“It is new for me obviously being a restricted free agent so I hope it works out for the best," White said on Saturday. "I love Chicago. I love my teammates. I love the front office. So, you know, I would like to be back but a lot of that's out of my control. It's a business at the end of the day and I understand decisions have to be made. So if I'm back, great. But if I'm not, you know, you got to live with it.”
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White has made visible strides in his game this season.
Once thought of as a one-dimensional scorer who needs the ball in his hands, he transformed his game on both sides of the floor. His ball security and decision-making sharpened, as shown by his 74 total turnovers this season, marking a new season low. (Can't count 2022 because he played fewer games.)
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His defensive abilities passed the eye test and the numbers. He held a 114 defensive rating and a positive defensive box plus/minus for the first time in his career. Over the past three seasons, he held a -1.2 DBPM or worse. White's also one of the best perimeter shooters the Bulls possess, sinking over 37 percent of his 4.6 attempts per game this season.
"Coby (White) has gotten better in every aspect of his game," Artūras Karnišovas said. "I think that's a good example of a player that's developing and taking strides, from decision-making to defense to 3-point shooting. Especially in the second half of the season, he's been really good for us and has been key in a lot of wins. So he's gotten really better."
Throughout the season, White mentioned his desire to become a starting point guard in the league. With Lonzo Ball's absence, he started in two games this season. Ayo Dosunmu held the post for most of the season before Patrick Beverley earned the spot past the trade deadline to the season's finish.
But White thinks he's capable of stepping into the shoes of becoming a starter in the league. Refusing to regard himself to the confines of a traditional point guard, White mentioned his pride in his versatility as a "guard." Would a starting position be contingent upon his decision in free agency?
"I think it would be a conversation," White said. "Obviously, that's my goal. So I think it definitely could be a conversation and figure things out from there. But obviously, that's still my goal. And that hasn't changed."
White's done a lot of growing and developing since entering the league. Something outside the box scores he mentioned his improvements upon is his leadership. He's starting to gain traction in the communication department, making himself vocal on and off the floor.
He mentioned the specifics of the Bulls' accountability factor throughout the season, saying there were moments of players owning up to their mistakes. His recognition and presence in the ongoing effort for the team to better their record says a lot about his stance on the team. For that, and the reasons listed above, he has confidence he can accomplish his goal of becoming a starter.
"I feel like I can," White said. "I feel like I'm more capable of doing it now than I was two years ago. I feel like I've grown a lot. I've matured a lot in my game. I've matured a lot in my game. I think, continue to work on my voice, leadership, playmaking, all aspects of being the point guard but still continuing to be who I am at the same time."
Artūras Karnišovas and Billy Donovan each expressed their confidence in White and intent to re-sign him to the team, too.
It's unlikely both White and Dosunmu find their way back to the Bulls, considering their overwhelming number of guards on the team. But White should take the cake. NBC Sports Chicago's K.C. Johnson hypothesized a three-year, $42-45 million deal to keep White in a Bulls uniform.
How will the Bulls handle White's free agency?
