Report: Chicago Bulls Backcourt Break Up Possible

The Chicago Bulls ended the 2024-25 season unceremoniously, losing to the Miami Heat in the NBA Play-In Tournament 109-90 at home. The loss sent the Bulls into the offseason but opened the door to some questions surrounding the roster construction moving forward. With some key contract situations coming up, Chicago could look to make a big move this offseason and break up one of the Eastern Conference’s up-and-coming backcourts.

Coby White and Josh Giddey spent last year sharing the playmaking responsibilities after the team traded away Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings. They finished the season on a roll and gave fans hope for the future of this Chicago Bulls backcourt. One season in the “Windy City” may be all they get to have, however, as Giddey is in line for an extension this summer and White is expected to turn down extension offers from the front office. The Chicago Bulls backcourt may look very different when the team suits up in October.

Chicago Bulls Likely to Part with Giddey or White

The NBA Finals are slated to start tonight, culminating another exciting NBA season. Like most years though, the play on the court is not dominating the headlines ahead of Game 1 Thursday night. The rampant offseason speculation has already begun and the Chicago Bulls entered that fray today when a report came out that they are likely to separate their backcourt of White and Giddey this summer.

According to Senior NBA Writer Matt Moore, teams around the league are anticipating that either White or Giddey will become available this summer due to their contract situations. Moore wrote on his Substack, Hardwood Paroxysm, that according to a pair of rival team personnel members, upcoming extension talks with White and Giddey could force one to leave the Windy City.

“This is outside speculative, but two different east personnel figures believe that the Bulls are unlikely to retain both Josh Giddey and Coby White. If Giddey gets locked in, White could be moved. I’m skeptical of that idea because that sounds like a radical concept for the Bulls and that doesn’t sound like them. Saving money sounds like them but not like this,” Moore wrote.

Forecasting 2025 Offseason

The debacle for the Chicago Bulls this offseason is which player to emphasize if it’s true that they are only going to commit to extending one. Giddey is due for an extension that would pay him upwards of $30 million per year. If the Bulls opt for Giddey, then White becomes a lame duck in the final year of his contract.

The 25-year-old guard out of North Carolina is also up for an extension this summer but is unlikely to entertain any offers. With the structure of the CBA, the maximum amount the Bulls could offer White is less than the amount he would likely garner if he were to hold out and become a free agent heading into next offseason.

According to Moore’s inside sources, the combination of White and Giddey at their extension-level price is untenable for the Chicago Bulls. That means one of them will have to be moved this offseason if the Bulls want to retain any value for their asset, although if the LaVine trade is any indication Chicago is not dead set on getting value for their assets. LaVine is also the reason the Bulls were able to pair White and Giddey in the backcourt in the second half of the 2024-25 season. After he was traded to Sacramento at the trade deadline, both White and Giddey saw their numbers jump.

White saw his PPG go up to 23.1 after the trade and Giddey averaged 20.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 9.5 assists. The explosive couple of months for the young duo could be all they end up playing together if Moore’s reporting is accurate. What seemed like a stepping stone into the future for the Chicago Bulls may be a short-lived tenure, cutting into what looked like a solid foundation for the team moving forward.