Free‑agent guard Coby White is set to re‑sign with the Charlotte Hornets on a $74 million contract, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania. The deal follows Charlotte trade that sent LaMelo Ball to Minnesota, opening a starting backcourt slot for White. Hornets officials negotiated through CAA agents Steven Heumann and Ty Sullivan to lock in the talent. The agreement cements Charlotte’s strategy to build around players.

White, acquired from Chicago before the February deadline, provided a spark off the bench, averaging 15.6 points and 39% from three‑point range in 21 games. He delivered a clutch performance in Charlotte’s biggest win, dropping 19 points and hitting a game‑tying three with 10.8 seconds left to force overtime against Miami in the Eastern Conference play‑in. The win kept Charlotte alive.

At 26, White returns to his native Carolinas after starring at UNC, a fit the organization touts as a cultural win. President of basketball operations Jeff Peterson praised the “tremendous culture fit” and hopes White’s expanded role propels Charlotte’s postseason push. The contract locks a proven scorer into the Hornets’ core for the next three seasons. The deal locks him in.