Chicago Bulls guard Coby White could be in line for some big money should the Bulls opt to extend his contract this offseason.
The 25-year-old is coming off of the best season of his NBA career last season. He averaged a career-best 20.4 points to go along with 4.5 assists per game while also shooting 37 percent from three-point range.
White will become an unrestricted free agent after next season unless he and the Bulls can come in agreement on an extension. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the price of White’s extension could become quite expensive, potentially nearing the realm of All-Star level salaries.
“The Bulls have to be factoring in the fact that Coby White is going to be up for a massive payday himself next year,” Fischer said on Bleacher Report. “And there’s already buzz of Coby White wanting even higher than that $30 million average annual figure we keep talking about.”
This certainly puts the Bulls in a tough situation. On one hand, they can’t afford to let a rising player such as White walk away for nothing, but on the other, he goes from making roughly $12.9 million next season, to possibly more than double that if he signs an extension.
White has been one of the few bright spots for a sputtering Bulls team the last couple of seasons, and now with a big payday looming, the Bulls must ask themselves if they believe White is worth a long-term lucrative deal or not.