In the wake of the LaMelo Ball trade, Shams Charania is reporting that the Charlotte Hornets have agreed to a new three year contract with Coby White. It’ll be worth a total of $74 million, so just under $25 million per year.
No details on if the deal is front or backloaded or anything like that, but it’s still a good price for a very good player. It’s just a couple million more per year than the Timberwolves paid for Ayo Dosunmu with a shorter time commitment.
The Hornets acquired White last season from the Bulls in exchange for Collin Sexton and some other moving parts that passed through a bunch of trades. He stepped in as the team’s sixth man and almost immediately became a fan favorite with his high motor and scoring outbursts. He averaged a tick over 16 points with 3 assists and 3 rebounds per game in less than 20 minutes per contest. Now, pending other changes, he gets the keys to the starting point guard spot.
The Hornets are assembling a collection of every fan base’s favorite player, which I think speaks to the types of players the organization values. Like the newly acquired Naz Reid, Coby White was beloved in Chicago and quickly earned the same sentiment in Charlotte.
The deal won’t be official until later as the Hornets will probably wait until the LaMelo Ball trade is finalized after the moratorium in early July. In the meantime, I’m sure we’re going to see a whole lot more activity. Stay tuned.
