The Charlotte Hornets are reportedly facing a new threat to their hopes of re-signing Coby White.
The Charlotte Hornets acquired veteran guard Coby White ahead of the 2025-26 NBA trade deadline in a deal with the Chicago Bulls.
White quickly became a big part of the Hornets' success in the second half of the year. However, he is set to become a free agent this offseason. Charlotte has been very open about its hopes of re-signing White.
During his tenure with the Hornets following the trade, White played in 21 games. He didn't start, but averaged 19.3 minutes per game.
In those appearances, the 26-year-old guard averaged 15.6 points per game to go along with three rebounds and three assists. He also shot 46.1 percent from the floor and knocked down 39.1 percent of his three-point attempts.
With that being said, Charlotte is facing a new threat when it comes to White in free agency.
According to a report from NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, the Detroit Pistons are among the teams interested in prying White away from the Hornets.
"It's a list that already features the likes of Herro, Charlotte's Coby White (also soon to become an unrestricted free agent) and Oklahoma City's Isaiah Joe in addition to players who project to be more difficult to acquire: New Orleans' Trey Murphy III, Dallas' Kyrie Irving and the Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves," they wrote.
Quite a few teams around the NBA could use a player like White. He's a capable scorer off of the bench, which is a premium.
What would it take for the Hornets to re-sign White? Most projections have ranged between $20 to $25 million. That price range is reasonable for an impact player like White.
Only time will tell what happens with White as free agency gets underway. Charlotte was clearly a good fit for him and it was a homecoming of sorts as he played his college career with the North Carolina Tar Heels. He was also born in Goldsboro, North Carolina.
Hopefully, the Hornets are able to get a new deal done with White before another team swoops in and steals him away. Clearly, the Pistons are one threat worth keeping a close eye on.
