When the Hornets traded for Coby White before the Trade Deadline last season, they knew they wanted White to stick around for the long haul.
When you have time, you use it.
The Charlotte Hornets appear determined to keep Coby White in town.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Charlotte wants to retain the veteran guard before free agency opens on June 30, with a short exclusive window to negotiate a new deal before outside teams can enter the picture.
Otherwise, it opens up the floodgates.
The fit between Charlotte and White has been nearly seamless, and it’s not a surprise that, if true, the Hornets feel this way.
When the Hornets’ season ended, General Manager Jeff Peterson was asked about the possibility of bringing White back. Peterson was crystal clear in his message.
"When we traded for Coby we envisioned him as someone to be with the Hornets for a long time...He's done an unbelievable job with that... I'm excited to see what this off-season looks like, he gets a full off-season with us."
White’s impact was almost immediate. He became a beacon of efficiency, posting net-positive numbers on the floor, and allowing the Hornets not to overwork their superstar, LaMelo Ball.
According to Richie Randall of the Buzz Beat Podcast, Charlotte posted a -130 point differential with Ball off the floor before acquiring White. After White debuted on February 24, that number flipped to +94.
But the one caveat is the significant pay bump that White would be looking for. In his previous three-year, $36 million contract, White was making, on average, $12 million per year. In whatever new deal he seeks, it’s likely that number will exceed $20 million.
That’s a pricey contract for someone who’s expected to come off the bench.
But White won’t just be Charlotte’s sixth man. He’ll be the insurance policy.
We finally were able to see what life is like with a healthy Ball. However, given his track record, banking on Ball to be consistently healthy can be a dangerous game.
You’re not getting dazzling playmaking from White like you do with Ball, but you are getting a player who can keep the team on track.
And for a team like Charlotte, that’s all it truly needs.
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