NBA Insider Reveals Fair Price for Coby White, But Hornets May Not Get The Deal

Coby White was exactly what the Charlotte Hornets envisioned when they traded for him. He was a positive performer off the bench, unlike Collin Sexton, and his postseason experience helped them win the Play-In game versus the Miami Heat.

The trade was done with the plan to eventually re-sign the unrestricted free agent. As Bobby Marks pointed out, without the deal, Charlotte would not have the money to sign White on the open market, so they had to deal for him.

"The Hornets started free agency early when they acquired White at the February trade deadline. They inherited his Bird rights, allowing them to sign him as a free agent and exceed the salary cap," Marks wrote.

Jeff Peterson said as much, but the plan has obviously always been to re-sign White. He's a local NC star and, after the shots he hit against Miami, he is now a Hornets legend. He's the right backup guard for this roster, so Charlotte will try to re-sign him.

Charlotte Hornets guard Coby White (3) dribbles the ball against the Phoenix Suns | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The problem is that White is going to be expensive. It was reported that while he was with the Chicago Bulls, he'd look for a $30 million annual salary this summer. That's not likely to happen after a down year with injuries and a reduced role in Charlotte.

However, he is still going to cost a fair amount. He's a legitimate star, a scoring machine at all three levels who would be an excellent addition to most offenses. Marks said he'd be comfortable with something much less than $30 million.

"Three years, $54 million. The contract is $4 million less than the extension Andrew Nembhard signed with Indiana. The first year is $16.5 million and increases each season with a player option in the third year," Marks said.

That would be a good deal for the Hornets. It would bring back White at a discount, giving them a backup guard who could start on a lot of teams without paying a serious premium for that luxury, like they did in 2025-26.

The problem is, there is almost no way White signs for that little. He knows his talent. He might not have played to the $30 million level he wanted, but he certainly played to more than $18 million annually.

The reality is somewhere in the middle. White will definitely exceed $20 million, and he might get close to $25 million. The Hornets would love this sort of deal, but they probably won't get it.

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