The Chicago Bulls have traded Rob Dillingham to the Charlotte Hornets for Buddy Hield and cash, the teams announced Sunday.
Dillingham, the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NBA draft and still just 21 years old, was moved less than a year after landing in Chicago at the trade deadline last season. He appeared in 30 games for the Bulls, averaging 9.6 points and 2.8 assists.
He could have a chance for a larger role in Charlotte, which traded longtime starting guard LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this offseason. Dillingham also joins the Hornets after Charlotte announced Friday that second-year guard Kon Knueppel has been sidelined with a hamstring injury.
The Hornets created a $9.6 million trade exception with the deal.
Hield spent less than a week with the Hornets, who acquired the veteran sharpshooter from the Atlanta Hawks for Dorian Finney-Smith. Hield, known as a positive and high-energy player, has history with Bulls executive vice president Bryson Graham from their time together in New Orleans.
Dillingham has one more year via a team option on his rookie contract before hitting restricted free agency in the summer of 2028. Hield has a player option worth around $10 million for the 2027-28 season.