The Charlotte Hornets are facing a difficult decision with Coby White.
When the Charlotte Hornets acquired Coby White in a deal with the Chicago Bulls back at the NBA trade deadline, it was viewed both as a move to help their playoff push and to bolster their roster for the future.
The problem, though, is that White is hitting free agency at the end of the season, and he isn't exactly building a major case to stay in Charlotte long term.
A calf injury has severely limited White since the guard joined the Hornets. He has played in just eight games, and during his time on the floor, he is averaging 12.6 points and 3.4 assists over 19.5 minutes a night on 40.5/31.6/80.8 shooting splits.
The general expectation all along has been that White will land a contract worth in the neighborhood of $25-30 million annually this summer, and while that may have changed based on the fact that he has been compromised all season, he still seems likely to earn a nice pay day in a few months.
But will it be from Charlotte?
The Hornets clearly landed White to pair with LaMelo Ball for the long haul. The idea of a Ball-White backcourt sounds awkward given the fact that both players are score-first point guards, but imagine if they do learn how to play together?
Clearly, the potential is tantalizing.
Charlotte Hornets guard Coby White. Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images.However, Charlotte hasn't really seen enough of a sample size to know if it can work, and with just over a month remaining in the regular season, the Hornets probably won't get enough data this year in general.
That will make the White decision awfully tough for Charlotte.
It's not like the Hornets traded a whole lot for the 25-year-old, sending Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng (who was re-routed to Milwaukee) and two second-round picks to the Bulls in exchange for him. But you could also view it as a complete waste of assets if Charlotte ultimately does let White walk.
The Hornets surely made the White trade with every intention of retaining him, but they also clearly did not know the extent of his calf issue at the time, which is why they amended the deal (they initially sent three second-rounders to Chicago).
But with Charlotte on the cusp of something special in the Eastern Conference, it needs to approach this offseason with the utmost care, and that means not overpaying for a player who just doesn't fit ... or hasn't shown nearly enough in a Hornets uniform.
Perhaps White — a North Carolina native and UNC product — will ultimately take a bit of a discount remain in Charlotte, or maybe his market will not be as robust as most are expecting (an inefficient, injury-plagued campaign in a contract year will do that to you).
Nevertheless, the Hornets are facing quite the conundrum with free agency quickly approaching.
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