Projecting a Potential Coby White Extension with Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets traded for Coby White with the full knowledge that he'd be a free agent at the end of this season. A ton of reports at the time indicated that the Hornets not only wanted to but were intending to extend White after the season.

As a scoring guard who is not even 27, he will have suitors. He's never made an All-Star team, but the consensus is that he's at that level. He's a very good player, so the Hornets won't be the only team interested in him.

At first, the White tenure got off to a decent but not great start. White was solid, but he did not get off to the kind of start that demands a new contract. He was good and impactful, but losing him at the end of the season wouldn't have been the worst thing.

In the last two games, though, he's made the case that he's not expendable. He has 51 points in 43 minutes. He's shot 15/28 and 8/17 from three. He's really turned it on, and it would be wise for Charlotte to re-sign him.

What will that cost? For a while, White seemed headed towards a $30 million annual salary. His 2025-26 season has not been the best, so his price tag has probably dropped. And while he's the sixth man for the Hornets, he's not likely to get back into that range.

Charlotte Hornets guard Coby White (3) controls the ball against Sacramento Kings guard Killian Hayes | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Miles Bridges signed a contract for $25 million AAV, but he was a starter. Still, even though the Hornets have guards ahead of him, he's proven to be a valuable piece of the puzzle off the bench.

That contract could be the starting point. White, because he's younger and has no off-court baggage, will probably sign for more seasons than Bridges did. A four-year, $100 million deal would make sense. If he wants more years, the Hornets could go for five years and $115 million.

Bridges' contract comes off the books in 2027, so the Hornets could more or less replace Bridges' salary with White's. They may even trade Bridges in the summer and draft a replacement, so White's money wouldn't change much about the financial situation.

Charlotte doesn't own his bird rights or anything. He's an unrestricted free agent, which could incite a bidding war for his services. Maybe the hometown Hornets get a slight discount or are favored with the guard, but it will cost them no matter what.

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