The Charlotte Hornets must keep Coby White.
The Charlotte Hornets have been advised to re-sign Coby White.
White becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason and NBA analyst Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report believes the Hornets must re-sign the UNC product.
"Coby White put up 15.5 points per game and shot 38.5 percent from deep in 20 contests with the Charlotte Hornets after coming aboard at the trade deadline," Hughes wrote. "That production was integral to the Hornets' closing run. His electrifying shotmaking in the Play-In round only solidified his value to the operation.
"Charlotte has White's Bird rights and can exceed the salary cap to retain him, after which it can still use the full mid-level exception to look for frontcourt upgrades. White might seem duplicative on a roster that already has LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller set as its primary offensive weapons. But if this postseason has taught us anything, it's that there's no such thing as having too many shot-creators. In light of all the ugly rock fights happening in both conferences, White's scoring and playmaking aren't luxuries. They're scarce, which gives the Hornets enormous competitive advantages."
The Hornets acquired White from the Chicago Bulls in Feburary. In 21 games with Charlotte, White played well. He averaged 15.6 points per game while shooting 46.1% from the field, 39.1% from beyond the arc and 83.9% from the foul line.
Before free agency starts on June 30, the Hornets can sign White to a three-year, $52.4 million extension. If White hits free agency, he can meet with other teams.
The 26-year-old White finished the 2025-26 season averaging 17.4 points per game with the Bulls and Hornets.
"Like I said when we traded for Coby, we envisioned him as somebody who's going to be with the Hornets for a long time," Hornets general manager Jeff Peterson told reporters. "... I'm excited to see what this offseason looks like. He gets a full offseason with us and then going into next season as well."
Chicago drafted White with the seventh overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. White has career averages of 15.4 points per game.
The Hornets didn't make the playoffs this season, but they have a bright future with LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel leading the way. Don't be surprised if Charlotte re-signs White and makes the playoffs next season for the first time since 2016.
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