CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Charlotte Hornets will bring Coby White home to North Carolina, where he is the state’s career high school scoring leader and plays for the Tar Heels.
The Hornets agreed Wednesday to acquire White from the Chicago Bulls, according to people familiar with the matter. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal has not yet been approved by the league.
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ESPN reports that the Hornets will also receive Mike Conley in the deal, while the Bulls will receive Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng and three second-round picks from Charlotte.
White, the seventh overall pick in the 2019 draft, joins a Hornets team that has won seven straight games with a young core and is on pace to reach the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
He averaged 18.6 points, 4.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game for the Bulls, and his three-point shooting percentage was 34.6%, slightly lower than his career average of 36.8%.
While it’s unclear where he will fit into the Hornets’ rotation, White gives Charlotte another scorer, joining LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Con Knupper and Miles Bridges. The Hornets are 23-28 and currently in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, but they’re 12-1 when their starting lineup includes Ball, Miller, Knuupel, Bridges and center Moussa Diabate — all of whom are now healthy.
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Knuppel has won his third straight Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month award, while Miller was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week last week.
The 25-year-old White played for the Bulls for seven seasons, averaging 15.4 points, 3.9 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game.
Sexton has been Ball’s primary backup at point guard this season. He has brought momentum to the Hornets off the bench, averaging 14.2 points and 3.7 assists in 42 games while shooting 39.3% from three-point range.
White scored 3,573 points at Greenfield High School in Wilson, North Carolina, from 2014-18.
White played one season at the University of North Carolina before turning pro. He continues to host youth basketball camps on campus during the offseason.
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Reynolds reported from Miami.
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