Recently, the Chicago Bulls traded homegrown guard Coby White to the Charlotte Hornets at the trade deadline in a three-team deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The move landed the Bulls some draft capital, but now, an unfortunate update has hit both the major players involved.

According to The Athletic‘s Fred Katz, the trade between the Bulls and the Hornets is being amended after White underwent his physical examination. According to him, it revealed a left calf injury that White is currently dealing with, something he will have to miss time for, and because of this, the Bulls are now receiving two second-round picks instead of three.

Of the picks, the least favorable between the Hornets and the Denver Nuggets in 2029 is being taken back, leaving the Bulls with both the Nuggets and the New York Knicks’ seconds in 2031. What makes this odd is that Charlotte was in a very similar situation last season.

During last season’s trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers tried to trade for then-Hornets center Mark Williams, before a failed physical resulted in the trade being rescinded entirely, and the Hornets missing out on Dalton Knecht as well as the rights to LA’s picks in 2030 (swap) and 2031.

The Bulls also acquired reserve guard Collin Sexton in the deal, reuniting him with former teammate Isaac Okoro, and is yet to debut for the team. He’s expected to play off the bench against the Denver Nuggets tomorrow.

How the Coby White Trade Could Help the Hornets’ Playoff Hopes This Season

On the surface, Coby White and Collin Sexton aren’t too different. They’re a similar archetype of player, with Sexton being slightly more efficient, while White has higher volume. But once we move past basic box score stats, the gap between the two becomes clear, especially in the context of the Hornets’ system.

Under Charles Lee, who was an assistant under Joe Mazzulla for the 2024 champion Boston Celtics, the team has adopted a system which prioritizes spacing, three-point volume, and quick pace. The Hornets are near the top of the league in three-point frequency, using that threat to open up the floor and keep pressure even when offensive engine LaMelo Ball sits. That’s where the problems start.

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Sexton never truly fit in the system. Despite solid percentages, he didn’t attempt many threes, and when he ran the floor, the offense stagnated significantly. With him running the offense, the Hornets were outscored by 6.3 points per 100 possessions, which is a 21st percentile figure, which led to inefficiency and a more volatile offense.

White plays the kind of basketball Charlotte needs. In Chicago, he created threes for himself and others, attacked the rim when needed, and spaced the floor relatively well. Most importantly, he’s a good off-ball player, used to playing with stars like Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. His cleaner shot profile should be something that improves the Hornets’ minutes without Ball, and hopefully help raise its floor as a playoff team.