Charlotte Hornets guard Coby White could make a surprising decision this offseason.
Coby White has not yet suited up for the Charlotte Hornets after coming over in a trade with the Chicago Bulls, as White has been nursing a calf injury.
The issue is definitely concerning, especially considering that White is an impending free agent and could ultimately walk this summer. But is it possible that White could make a shocking decision and actually spurn other teams to stay with the Hornets?
White played his college basketball at the University of North Carolina and grew up in Goldsboro. He is a native of the state, and upon being traded, and made it clear that he felt "home" in Charlotte.
Of course, money talks. White could get offered around $30 million annually on his next free-agent contract, so it's certainly no slam dunk that the Hornets will be able to retain him.
But Charlotte may have a better chance of re-signing White than it typically would with any other top NBA free agent.
When the Hornets made the trade for White just before the deadline earlier this month, the objective was clear. Charlotte has made significant strides this season, and it felt that White could be one of the final building blocks the team needs.
Coby White. Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images.Even though the Hornets are surging toward the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, make no mistake: Charlotte did not make this move with a postseason run in mind. It did it for the future, which indicates the Hornets must feel pretty good about their chances of keeping White this summer.
Is it possible that White would even be willing to give Charlotte a hometown discount? The Hornets own White's Bird rights, so they may wish to go above and beyond to keep the floor general in Charlotte anyway, but maybe the Hornets won't even have to?
If White is this thrilled about returning to his home state, perhaps he will allow Charlotte the inside track to re-sign him regardless?
Again, the Hornets clearly made this trade with the future in mind. They didn't seem to know about the severity of White's calf injury, which is another story. But they surely didn't just acquire the 25-year-old for a couple of months.
There will definitely be numerous teams interested in signing White this offseason, but based on White's comments since arriving in Charlotte, the Hornets may be home for him for the foreseeable future.
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