Hornets, Bulls Amend Trade After Coby White Injury Revealed

The Hornets will now send the Bulls two second-round picks instead of three due to White's calf strain.

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

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The Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Bulls have amended a trade that was originally agreed upon at the NBA trade deadline. The change comes after it was revealed that Hornets guard Coby White has a calf strain that will sideline him for at least some amount of time. In the revised deal, the Hornets will now send the Bulls two second-round picks in 2031 instead of the three picks that were initially part of the trade.

Why it matters

This trade amendment highlights the importance of thoroughly vetting player health before finalizing deals, especially with impending free agents like White. The Hornets are making a playoff push and need White healthy, so reducing the draft pick compensation makes sense given his injury status.

The details

The original trade had the Hornets acquiring Coby White, who is in the final year of his contract and headed for free agency this offseason. White is expected to come off the bench for the Hornets, who have the NBA's longest active winning streak at eight games. In the amended deal, the Hornets will send the Bulls their own 2031 second-round pick as well as the 2031 second-round pick they own from the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets.

  • Coby White suffered a calf strain prior to the trade deadline on February 7, 2026.

The players

Coby White

A 6-foot-4 combo guard for the Chicago Bulls who is averaging 18.6 points, 4.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game this season while shooting 44% from the field and 34.6% from 3-point range.

LaMelo Ball

An All-Star guard for the Charlotte Hornets who will be part of the team's backcourt rotation alongside the newly acquired Coby White.

Kon Knueppel

A rookie guard for the Charlotte Hornets who is a Rookie of the Year contender and will also be part of the team's guard rotation.

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What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This trade amendment highlights the importance of thoroughly vetting player health before finalizing deals, especially with impending free agents like White. The Hornets are making a playoff push and need White healthy, so reducing the draft pick compensation makes sense given his injury status.