The Charlotte Hornets have been urged to re-sign Coby White before he reaches unrestricted free agency this offseason, with NBA analyst Andy Bailey arguing that keeping the combo guard should be a priority. Charlotte can offer White a three-year, $52.4 million extension before free agency begins on June 30.
White, who was acquired from the Chicago Bulls in February, played 21 games for Charlotte and averaged 15.6 points per game while shooting 46.1% from the field, 39.1% from beyond the arc and 83.9% from the foul line. He finished the 2025-26 season with a combined average of 17.4 points per game for the Bulls and Hornets, a reminder of how quickly he fit into Charlotte's rotation.
Bailey wrote that White's contributions were critical for the Hornets gaining the momentum they did late in the season and said keeping him would push that momentum forward into 2026-27 and beyond. The Hornets missed the playoffs this season, but the front office has talked about White as part of its longer plan, and general manager Jeff Peterson said the team envisioned him as somebody who is going to be with the Hornets for a long time.
That matters because Charlotte is trying to build around a young core led by LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel, and White's decision could shape how the roster looks around them. If he reaches free agency, he can meet with other teams, giving Charlotte a brief window to lock in a player who has averaged 15.4 points per game in his career and has shown he can score efficiently in a smaller sample with the Hornets.
White, the seventh overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, has already been part of two franchise storylines this season: Chicago's decision to move him in February and Charlotte's push to keep him from leaving again. Peterson said the Hornets were excited to see what the offseason looks like with a full offseason for White in the system, and the next move will tell whether that vision becomes a long-term commitment or another opening chapter.