Coby White is set to open next season as the Charlotte Hornets’ starting point guard, and the team made clear this summer that keeping him was not an afterthought.
White and the Hornets agreed to a three-year, $74 million deal, and president of basketball operations and general manager Jeff Peterson said the club viewed the move as a must-do. “He was always a priority to bring back,” Peterson told Marc J.
Spears of Andscape. “He wasn’t a rental.
So, we would bring Coby back with LaMelo, without LaMelo. And he was always someone who is just a winner and does the right thing.
So, of course, it’s a luxury to have him in that situation. And we were fortunate that he ultimately ended up choosing us, because he could have went anywhere as a free agent.
But no, they were independent of each other.”
White arrived in Charlotte in February after a trade from the Chicago Bulls, and he gave the Hornets solid production over 21 games. He averaged 15.6 points per game while shooting 46.1% from the field, 39.1% from three and 83.9% at the line.
His season numbers were split between both teams. White finished the 2025-26 campaign at 17.4 points per game overall, after Chicago drafted him seventh in the 2019 NBA Draft. He has career averages of 15.4 points per game.
Charlotte’s decision to keep White came during a busy offseason that also reshaped the roster around him. The Hornets traded LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three future first-round pick swaps and three future second-round picks. They also sent Miles Bridges, a 2029 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick to the Phoenix Suns for Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale and a 2033 first-round pick.
The draft added two more names to the mix, with Charlotte taking Hannes Steinbach from Washington at No. 14 and Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson Jr. at No. 18.
The Hornets still haven’t reached the playoffs since 2016, but they’re expected to enter next season with White, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Reid and Moussa Diabaté in the starting five. On paper, that group gives Charlotte plenty to work with.
In Other News...
Hornets Young Core Just Sent A Complicated Summer League Message
The Hornets used Summer League in Las Vegas to take a closer look at the young group that arrived with last years draft class, and the early read was less about box scores than about roles. Coach Blaine Mueller said the staff wanted to see growth from Liam McNeeley, Sion James and Ryan Kalkbrenner in the areas that will matter once the games count, with each player asked to show a different layer of his game as Charlotte keeps sorting out who can help sooner rather than later.
McNeeley spent time handling more of the offense, James worked through facilitation duties, and Kalkbrenner was used in ways that tested his ability to create from the post while bringing more force around the rim. Hannes Steinbach and Tidjane Salaun were also part of the mix, with Steinbach leaning into physical play and Salaun focused on defensive execution, while undrafted signee Michael Ajayi gave the Hornets another promising look with his defensive versatility. The challenge now is turning those flashes into something more defined before the summer closes. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Rookies Ended Summer League With Hope For One And Questions For Another
Hannes kept giving Charlotte a reason to feel better about its rookie class in Las Vegas, finishing Summer League with another strong showing that underscored why the Hornets have been intrigued by his blend of size, touch and physicality. He has been steady enough all week to stack productive nights, and his latest effort only reinforced the idea that he can impact a game in more than one way.
Anderson, meanwhile, showed flashes of the playmaking that made him worth watching, putting together a useful scoring and assist line in the finale. The issue for Charlotte is still the same one it has been tracking throughout Summer League: the production is there in spurts, but the efficiency has not consistently followed, leaving the Hornets with a clearer read on his upside than on how quickly he can settle into a reliable role. [Read more 🡒]