Coby White Takes the High Road Before Making His Hornets Debut Against the Bulls

Not even Coby White was surprised on February 4.

In the months leading up to the 2025-26 NBA trade deadline, the 25-year-old was thrown into a slew of rumors. Whether it be the organization's long-term commitment to Josh Giddey or the team's same old Play-In Tournament trajectory, a change of scenery for White felt increasingly likely. As White stood in front of reporters at the United Center on Tuesday, he even admitted that you could "read between the lines."

The guard is back in Chicago for the first time as a member of the opposing team. Even more notable, he is set to make his Charlotte Hornets debut on Tuesday in front of the very fans who watched him for the first six years of his career. Since arriving in his home state of North Carolina, the guard has remained sidelined with his lingering calf injury. The team upgraded him to probable, however, roughly 24 hours before tip-off.

All things considered, it's hard not to imagine White will take the court with a sizable chip on his shoulder. Any trade that isn't outright demanded by a player can typically sting, especially when it suggests the front office was not willing to pay what it would take to keep that player around. Nevertheless, as he tends to do, White decided to take the high road. While shades of sadness may come through his voice, he gave no reason to believe any bad blood exists.

"The way the season was going, we weren't stacking enough wins consistently," White told the media (h/t CHGO). "Like I said from the jump, I support whatever they think is best for the team. This organization believed in me. They gave me a chance and opportunity to live out my dreams. So, I just want to see the organization succeed."

White built a reputation for his introspective demeanor and leadership. He was the kind of player who constantly looked inward and searched for ways to grow his game. Head coach Billy Donovan constantly praised his work ethic behind the scenes, which is something that undoubtedly led to better and better results as the years went by.

His breakout season came in 2024-25, when White averaged 20.4 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.7 rebounds on 37.0 percent shooting from long range. Many expected him to build on this performance this past season, but injury trouble ultimately got in the way. Still, the fact that White entered the year as the expected leading scorer spoke to the strides he made, and this is the legacy he hopes is left behind.

"I just want to be an inspiration to guys who maybe early on didn't pan out like everyone thought they would, and then you prove a lot of people wrong," White said. "Some guys come in, and they're good their whole career. I had to develop, and I kind of had to really work. So many different roles. I went from averaging 9.0 points to 20.0 points per game, so I want to be an inspiration to the development part of it. The part that everyone counts you out, but you always have time to change the narrative."

It's a mentality like that the Bulls will undoubtedly miss having in their locker room. White is an excellent example of what relentlessly putting in the work – no matter the pedigree – can lead to. And the lofty payday he receives in the coming month will only underscore that point.

Coby White Also Clarifies Injury Drama

Coby White of the Chicago Bulls — Jan 22, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) drives to the basket as Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) plays defense in the second half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Coby White's move to the Charlotte Hornets didn't come without some drama.

The Chicago Bulls were forced to tweak the deal after the Hornets came back to them with issues regarding White's health. They said White was still dealing with a calf injury despite playing 30 minutes in the game prior. The Bulls proceeded to give back one of their three second-round picks to have the trade go through.

Obviously, this situation put into question the Bulls' handling of White's season-long calf issue. Why was he suiting up in the games leading up to the trade? If the issue was bad enough for the Hornets to sit him for seven consecutive games, how could the Bulls not catch it?

White insists that the Bulls' medical team did nothing wrong. Instead, he suggested that likely no greater issue would have been found if it weren't for the physical exams he had to undergo for the trade.

"I've been dealing with calf stuff all year, and sometimes it would just get tight, and that's all it was," White said. "It had nothing to do with them. When the whole thing went down, everyone has their opinions, but the medical staff always had my best interest here. That's just how it came down. If I would have never gotten an MRI, if I never would have gotten traded, I probably would have never said anything about it. Just because I thought it was just tightness. They didn't know, [and] I didn't know it was a calf strain. It was nobody's fault."

Fair enough. If White wasn't complaining about it at the time and felt comfortable enough to play, how were the Bulls' medical staff to know that a strain was still there? White was playing some of his better basketball of the season, as well. He was posting 20.0 points a night on 39.3 percent shooting over his final 10 games as a Bull.

Speaking of which, it's unclear exactly how much time White will see against his former team tonight. With this being his first game since February 3, it feels likely that the Hornets opt for a gradual build as they set their sights on the postseason.