Chicago Bulls guard Coby White will be sidelined for at least two weeks because of a right calf strain, the team announced Monday, October 20, 2025.
The Bulls said the 25-year-old has resumed on-court work and will be re-evaluated after the two-week period. White has been dealing with the injury since August and missed every preseason game.
Timeline and immediate impact
Chicago opens the regular season Wednesday at United Center against the Detroit Pistons and is scheduled to play at least five games before White’s next medical check. The original plan targeted a return for the preseason finale, but that was scrapped early last week.
Head coach Billy Donovan told reporters White participated in additional contact drills Monday after resting Sunday. Donovan added that the guard will begin the season on a minutes restriction once cleared.
“When you have a lower-leg extremity injury like he does, I don’t care how hard he’s worked — and he’s worked really hard — you’re just never going to be in the shape that these guys are in,” Donovan said. “That’s going to be a challenge for him, and that will be his process in getting back on the floor.”
Contract situation
White is entering the final year of a three-year, $36 million contract that includes nearly $4 million in incentives, according to Spotrac. He is set to earn $12.88 million this season and will become an unrestricted free agent next summer. The guard has reportedly told the Bulls he will not sign an extension during the season because of league limits on the team’s current offer, with both sides agreeing to revisit negotiations afterward.
Recent performance
The former North Carolina standout finished second to Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey in 2023-24 Kia Most Improved Player voting after averaging a then-career-best 19.1 points on 44.7% shooting. He took another step last season, appearing in 74 games (73 starts) and posting career highs of 20.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 33.1 minutes per contest. White shot 45.3% from the field and 37% from three-point range and was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for March.
On March 6, he scored a career-high 44 points in a road win over the Orlando Magic, finishing 16-of-28 from the floor and 7-of-15 from beyond the arc. The guard logged three consecutive 35-plus-point games that month and averaged 27.7 points over the stretch. He has been eligible for a four-year, $89 million extension since July 10.
White will remain with the training staff as he continues his ramp-up program, with the next update expected in early November.
Source: Basketball Insiders
