The Hornets and Bulls have agreed to a trade that will send guards Coby White and Mike Conley to Charlotte, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
In exchange, Chicago will acquire guard Collin Sexton, forward Ousmane Dieng, and three second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. Dieng is technically still a member of the Thunder, but is reportedly being traded to Charlotte in a deal involving center Mason Plumlee. Oklahoma City is sending the Hornets a second-round pick along with Dieng in that side deal, tweets Charania.
White, who will turn 26 later this month, is a talented scorer who has averaged 19.5 points per game since becoming a full-time starter at the beginning of the 2023/24 season. He has also averaged 4.8 assists and 4.1 rebounds per night over the course of 182 outings during that stretch, with a .448/.369/.859 shooting line.
Although White entered this winter as one of the Bulls’ prime trade candidates, his value has been negatively impacted by calf issues that have limited to 29 games this season, as well as his contract situation.
The veteran guard is on an expiring $12.9MM expiring deal, meaning his maximum extension with Chicago would have been worth $87MM over four years — he reportedly conveyed to the team prior to the season that he wouldn’t be signing an extension and would take his chances on earning a more lucrative payday in unrestricted free agency.
With teams viewing White as a possible rental, the Bulls were unable to extract a first-round pick for him on the trade market, but they did secure three second-rounders, which will be either the Nuggets’ and Hornets’ 2029 pick (whichever is least favorable), the Nuggets’ 2031 pick, and the Knicks’ 2031 pick, according to Zach Lowe of The Ringer (Twitter link).
The Hornets will presumably look to re-sign White, a North Carolina native who played his college ball at UNC, but Conley likely won’t spend long on Charlotte’s roster. He’s viewed as a buyout candidate, and since he’ll be traded twice this week, he would be eligible to return to the Timberwolves without running afoul of the NBA’s rule preventing a waived player to return to the team that traded him away. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line highlighted this potential outcome for Conley earlier today.
The Bulls, meanwhile, could have more moves up their sleeves in the next 24 hours, since they’ll still have a logjam in their backcourt. Sexton will join a group that features Josh Giddey, Ayo Dosunmu, Jaden Ivey, Anfernee Simons, and Tre Jones.
And the Bulls still have 8 guards!
that’s what I came here to say!
Well I beat ya to it lol
Bulls starting PG tonight- Yuki Kawamura!
Bulls picked up Mason Plumlee after the Thunder cut him. He shows up on the Bulls roster now.
Sick up on your Collin Section rookie cards Benstar they’re about to release the beast that is Sexton. First game he goes for 28.
Young Bull joining the Chicago Bulls
Temporarily anyway.
As do the Cavs…
As Hawkeroo used to say, ” Don’t stop now boys….”
Hornets are making that play in.
More importantly they have another expiring deal with multiple 2’s and they are definitely going to parlay those picks and expiring deals for a guy they want.
Thinking Missi from Pelicans.
Also, thinking they can still get Giannis if they make a really good deal with Ayo involved for Giannis.
I will be shocked if the Bucks trade him in-division. I think this is a pipe dream. Missi makes way more sense, logically.
It sounds like they really like Ayo as the centerpiece of this deal, based on his age and his production. It depends on what they do with Ayo to determine if they can make a serious offer for Giannis.
I don’t believe for a second that they like Ayo so much more than other young talent that they’re willing to trade him to in-division and be haunted by him for the next half decade.
Report for drug testing immediately. You over medicated. LMAO
Zion is more likely than Giannis.
Agreed.
Yeahh I agree. But damn the amount of guards at this point is mind blowing. So if they end up trading for Missi, Claxton or Sharpe..I’m not mad at that at all. I’d lose my mind if they get Giannis though.😮💨😭🙏
They have ZERO . ZERO percent chance at Giannis
Less than zero.
Man I wish they could get Missi without losing Ayo … like Jones and a ton of 2nds would be great …. Sounds like it might cost them Ayo tho. If it’s a one for one swap I wouldn’t hate it. Missi looked real good last year and maybe they’re sensing that Ayo will get a bigger bag than they can stomach
I believe they are holding Ayo close to the vest for the best offer.
Zion or Giannis
No in between for them.
Why does anybody care about losing Ayo? Odds are better than 50-50 that the Bulls can get him back in Free Agency next year. Take the C!!!!!
Chill out man🥀
I knew Coby would get moved, but I’m surprised it’s to Charlotte.
Best of luck in Charlotte, Coby!
He’s heading home.
Yes he is. Glad he gets to go home for a few months at least
Two teams with too many guards exchanging guards, that’ll work.
Not horrible. But clear proof of AKs mismanagement of not getting a first for Coby over the summer.
Assuming that they’re not done— either reroute Sexton , or capitalize on getting real value for Jones. If this is it though it’s another head scratching guard orgy . Really hope that they don’t trade Ayo, but if they do they’d better get a nicer package than this.
Best of luck to Coby 🙏
Might as well field an entire team of guards. What can go wrong? Lmao.
At least the Bulls have finally committed to gutting this roster and tanking for a high pick now.
True. Banking on that bottom 5
Giddey, Jones, Ayo, Simons, Okoro, Ivey, Sexton. Like wtf
Simons and Sexton have no place imo. Really intrigued by Giddey / Ivey / Ayo trio … if Giddeys 3 continues to be real and Ivey is consistent on defense they could work long term. Iveys speed with Josh’s vision will make for some fun fast breaks
Let’s say they flip Ayo for Missi …
Giddey Ivey Buzelis Smith Missi
Really fun lineup. Jones, okoro, sexton or Simons off bench (hopefully can turn one of them into a big)… plus he who must not be named … add a good rookie and there’s at least something fun here.
FIRE DONOVAN IS A MUST.
We can’t ruin Buzelis by playing him out of position anymore. He’s too talented
Bulls want Eason from the Rockets, probably dangling Ayo + for him
Winner winner we have a taker for Mike Conley
Right back to Minnesota it seems.
Getting Dieng is nice for the Bulls, but this is one of those things where I’ll wait for their final roster/asset results before saying anything 1 way or another. Lots of redundancies there in multiple positions for years though
At least they finally got bigger. Better? But at least bigger.
Trash return for a great player. At least he gets to go home to Carolina! All the best Coby, you’ve been a class act.
Wolves really didn’t want him?
Kings?
Sexton has expiring contract.
Kings don’t have any so they would have needed to attach more picks.
Wolves already used Conley and by him being traded twice and Hornets buying out. This means Conley can go back to Minn on minimum. Minn does not have expiring contract either and Bulls are collecting those.
Wolves were interested but he was viewed as a plan B or C to Giannis most likely
Bulls also receiving three 2nd round picks? Talent wise White for Sexton seems like a lateral trade. Both expiring contracts.
I hope the Hornets keeps Mike Conley. He can bring a lot of value to a young team making a playoff run, whether he plays minutes or not.
Bulls piling up the 2nd round picks.
End of the 2nd round picks. 2 Nuggets and a Knicks. Things can change by 29 and 31 but right now they don’t look worth much.
LOVE this and McCain deals for OKC. Finally selling off some of that extra draft capital for win now players. They couldn’t have possibly used all those picks this offseason. Plumlee hopefully stays and doesn’t get bought out. He can be really helpful as a depth piece in the postseason. Big body, can handle the ball, and more than anything, rebound. McCain is a amazing shooter and on a long, cheap contract.
I’m not sure where McCain fits in with Shai, Dort, Mitchell, Wallace, Joe, Caruso and Wiggins.
He is more for the future since on rookie deal. If they can’t get Wallace on nice extension or Dort goes.
Plumlee was instantly waited.
Okc traded Dieng for Plumlee and picks, waived Plumlee and made the McCain deal.
This trade can work for both of those teams:
Goga Bitadze to Orlando for Ayo Dosunmu, Chicago can acquire a decent backup center in Bitadze, and Orlando secures the expiring contract of Ayo.
No way. Maybeee if Orlando throws in a good first. Still probably not
Detroit collected centers
Bulls collect guards
Not a single blue chip youngster or 1st round pick for Coby White. That has to qualify as an awfully disappointing return for Bills fans.
Because they held him too long. Last years draft was the time to move him. Another lack of vision. Some might say Dieng but a lot wouldn’t either. He was the 11th pick in the draft.
The Bulls could have taken Derik Queen with their own pick and then traded back in to the first round with White if they really wanted Essengue and been way better off than they are now. It would have made an Essengue pick way more palatable.
Honestly now would be the best time for the hornets to jump into the Sabonis sweepstakes.
LaMelo Ball for Sabonis straight up
White Kon Miller Bridges Sabonis
Mann Green James Williams Kalkbrenner
Thats a very solid playoff side with a legit 10 man rotation
Ball LaVine Hunter Murray Raynaud
Russ Monk DeRozan? Clifford Cardwell
Even the kings would have a decent little team especially with a likely top 5 pick
I almost feel like white and Sexton cancel each other out – they’re the same player.
Bullsorry
How the hell does Jared McCain go for astronomically more more than Coby white, even with the expiring contract. I was liking the first two bulls moves and now I am severely disappointed.