White Hot: Streaking Hornets Acquire Coby White Via Trade With Chicago Bulls

Towards the end of January, the Charlotte Hornets caught fire. It started with a couple of wins, and as the NBA community started paying more attention, the Hornets had knocked off a playoff contender in the Philadelphia 76ers and a Western Conference powerhouse in the San Antonio Spurs.

Now, the Hornets are riding the momentum of a seven-game winning streak. In a manner of speaking, this team might even get white hot, thanks to a deal that they pulled off before the February 5 trade deadline.

On Wednesday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Hornets are set to acquire Coby White from the Chicago Bulls in a three-team transaction that also involves the OKC Thunder. Joining White in Charlotte are Mike Conley Jr. and a future second-round pick from the Thunder; meanwhile, the Hornets gave up Collin Sexton and three second-round picks to the Bulls, as well as center Mason Plumlee to OKC.

When it rains, it pours inside the Spectrum Center. Though there are questions surrounding White’s future in Charlotte beyond this season, the Hornets undoubtedly improved their playoff chances with this new acquisition.

Late in the 2024⁠–25 campaign, with the Bulls hovering in play-in territory, White emerged as a bona fide scoring machine. He finished that season with a career-high scoring average of 20.4 points per game on 45.3% shooting from the field, while also contributing 3.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

As brilliant as White has been, the Bulls front office had a major decision to make: Should they extend the spitfire guard beyond the 2025⁠–26 season? Clearly, the executives in Chicago are leaning towards a rebuild, as evidenced by their decision to let go of their leading scorer this year.

The Hornets will now have to think about that extension, but given their circumstances, acquiring White has a strong upside. Charlotte is making serious noise in the playoff picture out in the East, and with the arrival of White, they have additional firepower next to their main gunner, Brandon Miller; their top playmaker, LaMelo Ball; and their young sharpshooter, Kon Knueppel.

Jeff Peterson and the rest of the Charlotte brain trust will think long and hard about giving White a new deal, but for now, they can pat themselves on the back for significantly beefing up their roster.