On Wednesday, the Chicago Bulls engaged in another three-way trade. This time with the Charlotte Hornets and Oklahoma City Thunder. It was first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN on X, formerly Twitter.
As a result, Coby White and Mike Conley Jr. are heading to Charlotte. Meanwhile, Collin Sexton and Ousmane Dieng are making their way to Chicago, as well as three second-round draft picks.
White is returning home to North Carolina and playing for his hometown team. Currently, White is averaging 18.6 points and 4.7 assists per game. Altogether, he played in 29 games with the Bulls. White's last game with Chicago was on Tuesday against the Milwaukee Bucks.
He finished with a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds as the Bulls lost 131-115. In the end, White completed seven seasons with the Bulls. He was drafted in 2019 out of the University of North Carolina.
Conley Jr. was traded to the Bulls as part of a trifecta deal with the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday. A deal that brought Jaden Ivey to Chicago and sent Kevin Huerter and Dario Saric to the Pistons.
However, the buzz was that the Bulls would ultimately trade Conley. Conely is an 18-year NBA veteran with strong veteran leadership and a good standing at the point guard position.
Sexton is arriving in Chicago from Charlotte. He is averaging 13.9 points per game and shooting 48.8% from the field. Dieng is coming from the Thunder and is shooting 41.8% from the field.
Given the uncertainty about what this means for two young teams, here is the grading as seen fit.
Bulls trade grade
In terms of scoring, the Bulls get two young, consistent players. Each is shooting nearly 50% from the field.
Sexton adds greater depth to the backcourt. Dieng is a strong perimeter player as a center/forward.
But from a financial standpoint, both are playing on expiring deals, which adds flexibility. Plus, the Bulls are now up to 10 second-round draft picks.
If anything, the additions of Sexton and Dieng are all about creating more cap space. While they are more affordable than White, they aren't the total package White is. Plus, they don't have the cache White has with the fans.
Furthermore, this calls into question what the real motivations are in Chicago? What is Arturas Karnisovas looking to build? Is there any real intention to build a winning team or create a feeder system for contending teams?
Given how conservative the Bulls are, this seems like the same old same old. And any hope at the play-in tournament is uncertain, and the playoffs are totally out of the question, objectively speaking.
Bulls trade grade: D+
Hornets trade grade
White people, in particular, are free from the never-ending cycle of underperformance in Chicago. A dynamic playmaker and scorer, he is in a prime position to elevate his game.
Clearly, the signing of Josh Giddey to a four-year, $100 million deal showed who Chicago wanted to build their team around. And after White declined an extension, the writing was on the wall all along.
In Charlotte, he will likely come off the bench. But he can provide three-point shooting, depth to the backcourt, and playmaking to a team that could make a run for the playoffs.
His style can naturally complement a solid core in LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, and Brandon Miller.
Conley brings that veteran leadership and postseason experience. He played in over 100 playoff games during his career. Plus, he is affordable playing out the final year of his $10.8 million contract.
Hornets trade grade: B
