Coby White is heading to Charlotte on a three-year, $74 million contract. The Hornets have their starting point guard, and this is one of the more interesting under-the-radar signings of the summer.
White was in Chicago for six seasons. He grew into a legitimate NBA scorer, averaging 20-plus points per game in each of the last two seasons. He is 26 years old. He is a career 37 percent three-point shooter. That is real value.
Charlotte has been in point guard purgatory for years. LaMelo Ball is a lead ball-handler but he has never been a true point guard, and his injuries have limited his availability. Adding White gives the Hornets a legitimate two-guard rotation who can share ball-handling duties.
The fit next to LaMelo is fascinating. Both can score. Both can create. Both can hit tough shots. The concern is whether they can both operate on the ball at the same time. There will be an adjustment period as they figure out the balance.
What White brings that LaMelo lacks is off-ball scoring. White is elite running off screens. He is one of the best in the league at coming off a curl and hitting a mid-range jumper or catch-and-shoot three. That is exactly the skill LaMelo has needed next to him.
The Hornets are trying to build a playoff-caliber roster. They have Ball. They have Brandon Miller as a developing wing. They have Mark Williams at center when healthy. Adding White gives them a starting-caliber player at every position.
Charlotte has been a lottery team for what feels like forever. The last playoff appearance was 2016. LaMelo has never made the playoffs. Brandon Miller has never made the playoffs. The organization desperately needs a winning environment for its young stars.
White’s veteran presence matters here. He has played in Chicago’s playoff runs. He has been in high-pressure games. He knows how to close out tight fourth quarters. That is exactly the kind of leadership Charlotte needs in the locker room.
The contract structure is smart. Three years, $74 million works out to around $25 million per year. That is starter money for a productive guard. Charlotte gets flexibility if things do not work out, and White gets long-term security.
The market for White was interesting. Multiple teams wanted him. Chicago tried to keep him. Detroit made a push. But Charlotte offered the biggest role and a chance to play alongside LaMelo, and that combination sealed the deal.
Chicago is in the middle of a rough summer. They lost White. They are still trying to figure out what to do with Zach LaVine. The Bulls have been stuck in the middle for years, and this offseason is not helping them get unstuck.
The Hornets have made real progress this year. They drafted well. They signed veterans on team-friendly deals. They restructured their front office. Charles Lee has been a solid head coach. The pieces are finally starting to come together.
The Eastern Conference is more open than it has been in years. Boston is transitioning after the Jaylen Brown trade. Milwaukee is rebuilding after the Giannis deal. Even Miami is figuring out how to fit Giannis in with their existing pieces. Charlotte has a real chance to jump multiple teams.
The playoff race in the East next season will be crazy. Six teams could realistically finish anywhere from four to nine. The Hornets are in that mix now. They probably start the year as a play-in team, but they could push into the six seed if White and LaMelo click.
The health question always looms over Charlotte. LaMelo has missed significant time with ankle injuries. Mark Williams has back issues. Miller has stayed healthy but is only two years into his career. Adding a durable guard like White helps mitigate some of that risk.
White at his best is a 22-point-per-game guard who can create his own shot and hit big threes. If he plays that way in Charlotte, this contract looks like a bargain. If he regresses or gets injured, it looks like an overpay. The middle case is that he is a very good starting guard for three years, which is exactly what the Hornets need.
My prediction: White averages 20 and 5 for Charlotte next season. LaMelo has his best season of his career. The Hornets win 40-plus games and grab the eighth seed. Brandon Miller makes an All-Star push. The Charlotte rebuild finally starts paying off.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
