The trade that sent Coby White to the Charlotte Hornets just hit a speed bump-and the Bulls and Hornets have had to call an audible.
After White’s physical revealed a left calf injury that’s expected to sideline him for a stretch, the two teams have agreed to tweak the terms of the deal. Initially, Charlotte was set to send three second-round picks to Chicago: the less favorable of their own or Denver’s 2029 pick, plus second-rounders from the Nuggets and Knicks in 2031. Now, the Hornets will hang on to that 2029 selection and instead send only the two 2031 picks to the Bulls.
White is officially listed as out with a left calf strain on the league’s injury report. Hornets president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson indicated that the 26-year-old guard will likely be held out through the All-Star break as he recovers.
White had been a key piece for the Bulls leading up to the trade, suiting up in 11 of Chicago’s last 12 games. He’s been productive this season, averaging 18.6 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.7 rebounds while shooting .438 from the field, .346 from beyond the arc, and .805 at the line over 29 games. But this isn’t his first run-in with calf issues-he’s dealt with problems in both legs throughout the season, a concern that clearly factored into Charlotte’s decision to revisit the trade terms.
The full trade, now finalized with the amended picks, saw White and veteran guard Mike Conley head to Charlotte. In return, Chicago received Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng, and those two 2031 second-rounders.
Conley didn’t stick around long in Charlotte-he was waived shortly after the deal and is expected to rejoin the Timberwolves. Meanwhile, the Bulls flipped Dieng to the Bucks in exchange for big man Nick Richards, adding some frontcourt depth in the process.
This isn’t the first time a player’s medical status has led to a post-trade adjustment. Just last season, the Sixers had to throw in an extra second-round pick after the Mavericks flagged Caleb Martin’s hip issue in a deal involving Quentin Grimes. And while less common, we’ve also seen deals voided entirely-like when the Lakers nixed a trade with Charlotte last February after Mark Williams didn’t pass his physical.
But in this case, both sides found a way to move forward. Charlotte still gets a scoring guard with upside-albeit one who’ll need time to get healthy-while Chicago adds future draft capital and reshapes its roster in the short term.
For White, the next few weeks will be about recovery. And for the Hornets, it’s about patience. If he can return to form post-All-Star break, Charlotte may still come out ahead in this reshuffled deal.