In a bit of a surprise, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan has revealed that guard Coby White is slated to return from an injury absence Wednesday against the Celtics, per K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link).
White has been on the shelf with a right ankle bone bruise since January 19.
Chicago is in the midst of a three-game road trip. As recently as Tuesday, Donovan had expected White to at least miss the Boston clash, as he apparently has been dealing with some pain in the ankle fairly recently.
All-Star shooting guard Zach LaVine, meanwhile, will be away from the team Wednesday while he awaits the birth of his third child.
The 20-27 Bulls are currently the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference, just one game ahead of Philadelphia for the East’s final play-in tournament spot. The team has gone 2-2 in its four games without White.
This year, the 6’5″ vet is averaging 18.2 points, 4.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds through 40 healthy contests. The North Carolina product is also notching a .437/.364/.874 slash line.
The 24-year-old almost instantly outperformed the three-year, $36MM restricted free agent deal he inked with Chicago ahead of the 2023/24 season. Provided he stays healthy, White could be in line for a major raise when that agreement expires in 2026.