Charlotte Hornets guard Coby White becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
NBA analyst Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report believes the Charlotte Hornets' worst fear this offseason involves Coby White.
White becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer and Hughes wonders if the guard will cost too much for Charlotte to bring him back.
"Even if Charlotte saw proof of concept after trading for White, it still has to be careful about overpaying a third guard when it has other needs at forward and center," Hughes wrote.
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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