Coby White didn’t arrive in Charlotte to be the loudest name in the room. He got there midseason in 2025-26, when the Hornets still leaned on LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges as the team’s established voices. But with both of those players now gone via trade, the tone around the roster has changed fast - and White has stepped right into that opening.
The Hornets have moved into a new phase built around Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel, yet White has become one of the players helping steer the group through it. Entering his eighth NBA season after being drafted in 2019, he’s suddenly one of the older hands on a roster that needs them. Dennis Schroder and Pat Connaughton are in that same veteran bucket, but White’s experience and production over seven seasons with the Chicago Bulls have made him more than just another seasoned body in the locker room.
That influence has already shown up with his teammates. Liam McNeely, who is heading into his second season, pointed to White as a player who has made a clear impact since arriving.
"Coby White has been super vocal. I'd say he was a standout for the vocalness in training camp.
We did an obstacle course with the Citadel cadets, and he was leading his team. It was impressive," McNeely said after a Hornets practice.
For Charlotte, that kind of presence matters. White’s role is growing on the floor, but just as importantly, he’s becoming a steadying voice around a young team. He has clearly earned that trust, and head coach Charles Lee now counts him among the most reliable figures on the roster.
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Hornets Already Have A Point Guard Problem After Moving LaMelo
Moving on from LaMelo Ball was always going to reshape the Hornets backcourt, and the early returns have only made the point guard picture look more unsettled. Charlotte tried to patch things up by re-signing Coby White, drafting Christian Anderson Jr. and bringing in Dennis Schrder, a group that was supposed to keep the position steady while the franchise moved into its next phase.
Instead, the preseason has already brought more questions than answers. Anderson struggled in Summer League and is dealing with an injury, while White is sidelined with a calf issue and will miss preseason games, leaving Charlotte thin at the spot before the games even count. Ball, meanwhile, opened his Minnesota preseason looking comfortable in his new uniform, which only sharpens the contrast for Hornets fans still waiting to see whether the team's next answer at point guard is actually in place. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Miller Injury Creates An Early Hornets Concern
Brandon Millers preseason has already hit a small snag for the Hornets, with the second-year wing dealing with a shin contusion he picked up in practice. Charlotte has been taking the cautious route, keeping him day-to-day as the team works through the opening weeks of exhibition play and prepares for its next preseason test against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Millers absence from the recent game against the Brooklyn Nets added a little more early-season concern, especially for a player whose development remains central to Charlottes plans. There is already outside buzz about a possible long-term extension down the road, but for now the Hornets are focused on getting Miller back on the floor and making sure a preseason bump does not linger. [Read more 🡒]
Naz Reid Already Feels Like A Huge Part Of Charlottes Reset
Before Charlottes first preseason game against Brooklyn, Charles Lee was already talking about Naz Reid like a player who can help steady the Hornets new direction. The big man arrived from Minnesota as part of the LaMelo Ball trade, and his first taste of a Charlotte uniform offered a quick glimpse of why the team wanted him in the mix as it starts over with a reshaped roster.
Reid wasted little time showing he can bring scoring and activity in short bursts, and that matters for a Hornets group still sorting out how its pieces fit together around young talent such as Miller and Knueppel. With the season just getting underway, Charlotte is trying to establish roles and identity, and Reids early return has at least given the coaching staff one more reason to believe the reset can take hold sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]