Business
Hornets Land Coby White and Mike Conley in Stunning Trade with Bulls
The Charlotte Hornets pulled off one of the most surprising deals of the 2026 NBA trade deadline on Thursday, Feb. 5, acquiring guards Coby White and Mike Conley from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for guard Tre Mann, forward Josh Green, center Nick Richards, a 2027 first-round pick (top-10 protected), and two second-round picks, league sources confirmed to The Associated Press.
The transaction, finalized just before the 3 p.m. ET deadline, signals a clear shift in direction for the Hornets, who have struggled to find consistent backcourt production since the departure of LaMelo Ball to injury and inconsistent play from younger guards. By adding White, a 26-year-old breakout star coming off a career year, and the 38-year-old veteran Conley, Charlotte is betting on immediate competitiveness while still preserving long-term flexibility.
Trade Breakdown
Hornets receive:
- Coby White
- Mike Conley
- Cash considerations
Bulls receive:
- Tre Mann
- Josh Green
- Nick Richards
- 2027 first-round pick (Charlotte, top-10 protected)
- 2028 second-round pick (via Miami)
- 2030 second-round pick (via New Orleans)
The deal reunites Conley with Hornets head coach Charles Lee, who served as an assistant under Conley in Memphis and Atlanta. White, meanwhile, becomes the centerpiece of Charlotte’s backcourt overhaul, bringing explosive scoring, improved playmaking and elite catch-and-shoot ability to a roster that ranked 26th in offensive efficiency entering February.
Why the Hornets Made the Move
Entering the deadline at 22–30 and sitting 11th in the Eastern Conference, Charlotte had been widely viewed as a seller. Instead, general manager Mitch Kupchak pulled the trigger on a win-now move, prioritizing guard depth and veteran leadership around young stars Brandon Miller and Mark Williams.
White, 26, is having a career season in Chicago: 21.4 points, 5.1 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 41.8% from three on 8.2 attempts per game through 52 games. His ability to score off the dribble and create in pick-and-roll situations addresses a glaring need for the Hornets, who have leaned heavily on isolation and transition scoring.
Conley, despite turning 39 in October, remains one of the league’s steadiest floor generals. He averaged 9.8 points and 5.9 assists in 28.4 minutes per game for the Bulls, shooting 42.1% from three and posting a 3.2 assist-to-turnover ratio. His leadership and championship experience (2023 with Denver) give Charlotte a stabilizing force off the bench or in closing lineups.
“These two guys change how we play,” Lee said in a brief statement released by the team. “Coby brings dynamic scoring and shot-creation. Mike brings poise, winning habits and the ability to run an offense. We’re excited to integrate them immediately.”
Impact on the Bulls
Chicago, sitting at 24–28 and clinging to the No. 9 spot in the East, appears to be pivoting toward a youth movement and future asset accumulation. Trading White — their leading scorer and a pending restricted free agent — and Conley (who has a $9.975 million non-guaranteed salary for 2026–27) clears significant cap space and timeline pressure.
In return, the Bulls receive:
- Tre Mann (24): A quick, shifty combo guard who averaged 11.2 points and 4.1 assists in 26.8 minutes for Charlotte.
- Josh Green (25): A versatile 6-foot-5 wing who shot 38.7% from three last season and brings defensive energy.
- Nick Richards (27): A 7-foot rim-running center who averaged 9.1 points and 8.0 rebounds in limited minutes but offers size and athleticism.
- A 2027 first-round pick (top-10 protected) that could convey in a year Chicago hopes to be in the lottery again.
The haul gives the Bulls three rotation-ready young players under team control and a valuable future pick, aligning with a potential rebuild around No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg (if they land him) or other high lottery talent.
Immediate Roster Fit in Charlotte
White is expected to start alongside LaMelo Ball (when healthy) or slide to the bench as a high-usage scoring guard. Conley will likely back up the point guard spot and serve as a mentor to younger guards while providing spot minutes in crunch time.
The Hornets’ projected backcourt rotation now reads:
- Starters: LaMelo Ball / Coby White
- Key reserves: Mike Conley / Seth Curry / Nick Smith Jr.
The addition of White’s scoring punch (career-high 21.4 PPG) and Conley’s decision-making should raise Charlotte’s offensive ceiling significantly, especially in half-court sets where the team has struggled.
Defensively, the Hornets gain mixed results. White is an average-to-below-average defender, while Conley remains a savvy team defender despite declining lateral quickness. The hope is that Miller, Williams, and Miles Bridges can cover for backcourt deficiencies.
Fan & Analyst Reactions
The deal drew immediate polarized reactions. Hornets fans flooded social media with excitement over finally landing a proven 20-point scorer to complement Ball. “Coby White + LaMelo? That’s must-watch basketball,” one fan posted on X, garnering thousands of likes.
Skeptics pointed to the cost: giving up a first-round pick and three rotation pieces for two players on expiring or near-expiring deals. “This feels like a panic move when we should be tanking for Cooper Flagg,” another wrote.
National analysts leaned positive. ESPN’s Bobby Marks gave the Hornets a B+ grade: “They’re buying upside and win-now help without sacrificing their entire future.” CBS Sports’ Colin Ward-Henninger called it “the most aggressive move Charlotte has made in years.”
For Chicago, the return drew praise for its balance of youth, upside and future assets. “They didn’t just dump salary — they got real pieces and a pick,” wrote The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry.
What’s Next
White and Conley are expected to travel to Charlotte immediately and make their Hornets debuts as early as Friday against the Orlando Magic. The team has until Feb. 20 to decide whether to waive Conley’s non-guaranteed 2026–27 salary or keep him for another season.
For Chicago, the trade opens the door to further deadline or offseason moves, potentially including offers for Zach LaVine or Nikola Vučević if the rebuild accelerates.
In Charlotte, the deal marks a clear pivot: from rebuilding to retooling around Ball, Miller, and now White. Whether it pays off depends on health, chemistry, and whether the Hornets can climb out of the lottery and into the play-in conversation.
For now, the NBA world is left marveling at how quickly a quiet deadline turned explosive — with two franchises betting on very different futures.
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The Big Money Show panel discusses the alarming new analysis showing Social Security and Medicare racing toward insolvency and warns that retirees face steep benefit cuts unless Washington acts fast.
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink discussed possible Social Security reforms that would allow more Americans to benefit from the growth in the stock market while also ensuring the program is strengthened so it can survive to serve future generations.
Fink’s recently released annual chairman’s letter touched on how Social Security is “one of the most effective poverty-prevention programs in history” and that while it provides stability, it “doesn’t allow most Americans to build wealth in a way that grows their country.”
“Today, the system operates largely on a pay-as-you-go basis. Payroll taxes are used to pay current retirees, and the Social Security trust fund is invested primarily in U.S. Treasury bonds. In effect, workers lend money to the government and receive defined benefits in return.”
“The structure, designed as a social insurance program, emphasizes stability and predictability. What it doesn’t do is let people grow their benefits along with the broader economy. The question is whether the Social Security system could allow both,” Fink said.
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BlackRock CEO Larry Fink said that Americans need to discuss ways to reform Social Security ahead of its insolvency. (Hollie Adams/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
He said that this could be accomplished by asking whether a portion of the system could be invested “carefully, broadly, and over decades” like other long-term pension systems.
“This would not mean privatizing Social Security or putting it all into the stock market,” Fink wrote. “It would mean introducing a measure of diversification, similar in principle to the federal Thrift Savings Plan, which manages retirement savings for millions of federal employees.”
“The goal would be to strengthen the system over time while preserving its core guarantees,” he added.
SOCIAL SECURITY’S MAIN TRUST FUND FACES DEPLETION IN 2032, TRIGGERING BENEFIT CUTS
Social Security’s main trust fund is on a path to insolvency in less than a decade, when benefits would be automatically cut to match payroll tax revenue. (Getty Images/iStock)
Fink noted a bipartisan proposal from Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Tim Kaine, D-Va., that would create a new investment fund that operates parallel to the existing trust fund rather than replacing it while investing in a diversified mix of stocks and bonds to generate higher returns.
The proposal would require an initial investment of about $1.5 trillion and would be given 75 years to grow, and during that period the Treasury would continue covering Social Security benefits.
Once the fund matures, it would repay the Treasury and then supplement payroll taxes going forward to help close the gap between what the Social Security system takes in and what it pays out – while no one on Social Security or nearing retirement would see a change to their benefits.
Fink also noted that about six million Americans who are employed by state and local governments don’t currently contribute to Social Security and instead rely on public pension systems that invest in diversified portfolios.
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Other examples of alternative pension systems can be found overseas, with Australia’s superannuation system representing an approach that invests retirement contributions in the financial markets. Fink said that a “similar, carefully structured approach could be considered to strengthen Social Security.”
“I understand why any talk of changing Social Security makes people uneasy. Social Security is a core promise, and people rightly believe it should be honored. But under the current system, doing nothing could very well break that promise,” he said.
“Current projections show the trust fund won’t be able to pay full benefits by 2033. Many young Americans doubt they’ll ever fully see theirs,” he explained. “Addressing that gap will likely require multiple solutions. But thoughtful, long-term investing could be one of them.”
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An analysis by the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) noted that when Social Security’s main trust fund reaches insolvency – which is projected to occur in 2032 – federal law requires benefits be cut to match revenue from payroll taxes, which would amount to a roughly 24% cut for beneficiaries.
Fink noted that his chairman’s letter two years ago was focused on rethinking retirement and generated criticism for suggesting that Social Security was in need of reforms. He acknowledged that the latest letter may do the same, but said it’s a conversation that needs to be had.
“In my 50 years in finance, if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the problems we don’t talk about are the ones that should worry us most. And that’s exactly why we need the conversation now – because the cost of waiting is only getting higher,” he said.
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Goyal also met his Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao.
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