Coby White agrees to 3-year, $33 million deal to return to Bulls, per sources: Why this is a win for Chicago

Restricted free agent Coby White agreed to a three-year, $33 million deal to return to the Chicago Bulls, league sources confirmed to The Athletic. Here’s what you need to know:

White and the Bulls failed to reach an agreement on an extension before the 2022-23 NBA season, setting him up for restricted free agency.
White averaged a career-low 9.7 points per game and 2.9 rebounds per game last season.
White set career highs in points (15.1), assists (4.8) and rebounds (4.1) per game during the 2020-21 season.

Restricted free agent Coby White has agreed to a three-year, $33 million deal to return to the Chicago Bulls, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2023

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Why the Bulls kept White

White was among a handful of in-house free agents the Bulls had to make decisions on. After Chicago agreed to a three-year extension to retain Nikola Vučević, White was the team’s next biggest name to watch. The deal feels like a win-win.

White gets an $11 million average salary and a shot at earning a starting point guard role. The Bulls keep a shooting threat and playmaker who can play both guard positions and serve as a starter or reserve. — Mayberry

White has room to grow

White, 23, also has plenty of room to grow. He showed improvement last season as a defender, ballhandler and facilitator, and his development this offseason could be a big factor in how good the Bulls can be after finishing 40-42 last season.

The Bulls are operating over the salary cap and do not have significant resources to acquire outside free agents. With rival teams working with limited cap space as well, the Bulls were able to keep White on a reasonable deal and see where his career goes from here. — Mayberry

Backstory

White joined the Bulls as the No. 7 pick in 2019 and started one game of 65 played during his rookie season. He started all but 15 games in his second year, averaging a career-high 31.2 minutes per game, then started just 17 games in the 2021-22 season.

That dropped further last season, when White started only two games. At 23, he told The Athletic that his goal is to become a starting guard and that he knows there’s growth required to get there.

He started down that path last season, improving significantly over the year with his ballhandling skills and on defense. White has also been a consistent 3-point shooter for the Bulls, averaging 36.7 percent from behind the arc over his four-year career.

White is The Athletic’s sixth-best shooting guard to hit free agency.