Coby White Finally Says Goodbye to the Chicago Bulls After Hornets Trade

After Ayo Dosunmu's goodbye message made Chicago Bulls fans grab the tissue box, Coby White shared some words of his own.

The recently traded guard finally released a statement following an active NBA trade deadline that saw him moved to the Charlotte Hornets. Chicago decided to make the trade in exchange for Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng, and three second-round picks. They proceeded to flip Dieng for big man Nick Richards in the coming days before losing one of the initial second-rounders due to White's physical. With the guard still suffering from a calf injury upon his arrival, the Hornets forced the Bulls to amend the trade.

Nonetheless, with the drama finally settled, White took a moment to thank both the Bulls organization and their fans on Instagram. He also released a video that shared some of his most memorable moments in a Bulls uniform, which included plenty of big-time threes and a few surprise poster dunks.

"Chicago, you embraced me since day one. Just a kid from Carolina following my dreams. Y’all gave me everything and more - to the city, the fans, my teammates, the entire Bulls organization, THANK YOU. You shaped the man I am today and for that I will be forever grateful.

Next chapter. Going home, where it all began. Truly a full circle moment.

Blessed beyond measure and ready to work. Buzz City let’s get it!!"

Ayo Dosunmnu, Matas Buzelis, Tre Jones, Josh Giddey, and Isaac Okoro each dropped a comment on White's latest post, which has racked up over 31,000 likes thus far.

For many, White's departure is undoubtedly a tough pill to swallow. The guard was the longest tenured Bulls player on the active roster, joining the franchise as the No. 7 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Over his six-plus seasons with the organization, he showed immense growth as an all-around offensive contributor, putting together his best season yet in 2024-25 with 20.1 points per game.

White left the Bulls as their second all-time leading three-point shot maker. His 1,057 made buckets recently moved ahead of Kirk Hinrich and just behind Zach LaVine for the top spot. The 25-year-old also used his hot shooting stroke to finish his Bulls' career (for now) in the Top 13 on the team's all-time scoring list.

Despite the accomplishments, rumors swirled for months that White would likely be on the move. Not only is he set to hit unrestricted free agency, but the Bulls have been stuck in the same mediocre cycle and are fresh off paying Josh Giddey to be their lead guard of the future. If they weren't confident White was the right long-term running mate for Giddey, moving him now was the only option.

Nevertheless, few expected him to end up with a fellow Eastern Conference bottom-feeder. The Charlotte Hornets have swam in similar waters as the Bulls for the last handful of seasons. However, working to drag themselves out of the mud, they have recently performed like one of the league's top teams. LaMelo Ball and Company have won nine of their last ten games, and the Hornets have now crawled their way into the thick of the Play-In picture.

The surge means White will have something to play for once he can return to the court, and there is no guarantee that would been the case in Chicago. Better yet, he will also have a chance to suit up for his home state, which is an honor few players are lucky enough to experience.

For what it's worth, the Bulls are only a handful of weeks away from having to see White in a rival jersey for the first time. Chicago is set to play Charlotte in the series finale on February 24 at the United Center. If White is able to suit up, I think it's safe to say he can expect a loud ovation from both his former teammates and the Bulls faithful.