To say that Coby White’s run with the Chicago Bulls hasn’t quite gone according to plan would be an incredible understatement at this point in time. For a former No. 7 overall pick and All-Rookie honoree who had locked down a starting spot and major minutes before Lonzo Ball was brought on board, the combo guard’s current status as a bench baller and role player is borderline shocking.
From a statistical standpoint, the 2022-23 campaign represented rock bottom for White. After logging a 15-5-4 line in 2020-21, he averaged just 9.7 points, 2.9 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game for the Bulls this season.
In other words, it was exactly the kind of year he probably didn’t want to have as he gets set to enter restricted free agency this summer.
Having said that, it wasn’t all bad for the UNC alum in his fourth year as a professional. And despite the fact that he failed to meet the lofty expectations some had of him, one analyst is of the belief that the Bulls could end up doing what they must to keep White in Chi-Town.
B/R: Bulls May Be Motivated to Match Coby White Offer Sheet in Free Agency
Coby White came to play.
For a recent feature, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley examined Chicago’s free-agent situation now that the regular season is officially on the books. And where White’s future was concerned, Buckley made a bold prediction on what might transpire.
Specifically, he’s banking on White signing an offer sheet with some other team only to have the Bulls exercise their right to match on the restricted free agent.
Wrote Buckley:
His role and stats were both diminished this season, but he took subtle (but important) steps as a distributor and a defender. If the Bulls see him becoming more than a quick-strike scorer off of the bench, then they shouldn’t mind covering the cost of his next contract.
As the hoops scribe sees it, the Bulls’ current timeline — which may not be as win-now as some believe it to be — warrants taking a longer look at White, who’s still just 23 years old:
Since [the Bulls] seemingly need more time to get this roster anywhere near championship-level… they should buy into his development and see what his future will hold.
No Diar DeRozan Bump for the Bulls vs Heat
After beating the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, the Bulls have an opportunity to capture the eighth and final seed in the East’s playoff bracket with a play-in win over the Miami Heat on Friday.
However, they’ll have to do so without the help of Diar DeRozan — the nine-year-old daughter of Bulls star DeMar DeRozan — whose shrieking from the stands became an internet phenomenon and was seemingly a factor in the Raptors going 18-for-36 from the charity stripe in the big win.
“She was just adamant about coming to support and I said, ‘All right, you can miss one day of school and come to a game.’ I’m glad I did. I owe her some money for sure,” the elder DeRozan said, via ESPN’s Jamal Collier.
Alas, they won’t be getting the same bump versus Miami.
“No… She’s got to go back to school.”
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Analyst Predicts Unexpected Outcome in Free Agency for Bulls’ Coby White