After the Hornets dealt LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a league-shaking blockbuster, Charlotte suddenly finds itself in need of a true point guard.
That could open the door for a move involving the Chicago Bulls, Josh Giddey, and a reunion with Coby White — in Charlotte.
The Bulls sent White to the Hornets at last year's trade deadline in a package that ultimately netted them Collin Sexton and two first-round picks. Trading White was a good call — trading him for pennies on the dollar (at best), not so much.
The Bulls should be open to trading Giddey at the moment, given their shift in leadership, status as a rebuilding franchise and desire to build around size, length, athleticism and physicality. The Aussie point guard has an attractive skill set, but the physical attributes Chicago's new regime desires are not part of it.
A deal makes sense for both teams.
Bulls should reunite Josh Giddey and Coby White ... this time in Charlotte
The Hornets shocked the league by trading Ball, their franchise point guard and arguably most popular player, to Minnesota for a package headlined by Naz Reid and a smattering of draft picks.
Shams Charania of ESPN reported on June 24 that Charlotte was shopping the 24-year-old. About 12 hours later, he was teaming up with Anthony Edwards to give the Timberwolves one of the NBA's most offensively gifted guard tandems.
The Hornets' decision to trade their franchise superstar the summer after reaching the postseason for the first time in a decade brings a ton of risk. Clearly, they felt like such a risk was necessary, but now they've left themselves without a true floor general.
While he can play point guard, White is better suited as a scorer and secondary playmaker than a lead ball-handler. Ball, even with his apparent flaws, played that role in Charlotte and led one of the NBA's most explosive offenses down the stretch of last season.
Giddey is not the shot creator Ball is, but he's an established point guard who can run an offense and get his teammates open looks. He can function in transition and in the half-court. Just like Ball, his positional size, court vision and elite passing ability make him a unique and beneficial playmaker.
His skill set mirrors the one Ball brought to Charlotte. Pairing him with White (again), Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel and Reid would bring a similar dynamic.
The Bulls should have no problem moving on from Giddey, and not because he's a bad player. He just doesn't fit the kind of roster executive VP of basketball operations, Bryson Graham, wants to build.
Reuniting him with White in Charlotte is a win-win for both players and franchises.
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