Why Coby White thinks Hornets ‘can surprise a lot of people’ in 2026-27
Taking a brief break from lending a helping hand and prior to getting in the latest summer workout, Coby White is in his usual mode.
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The Charlotte Hornets guard is a picture of calm, unfazed by all the offseason noise following the roster shift buoyed by the trades of LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges. He’s eager to get it going and see exactly what unfolds for the Hornets and their crop of newcomers in the 2026-27 NBA campaign.
“I think we’ve got a really, really good team,” White told The Charlotte Observer on Wednesday. “We’ve got a lot of really, really good players. I think we got a lot of unselfish players, so that’ll make it easy in terms of coming together. A lot of us are already here now in Charlotte working out, so that’s a major step in — what is it, August?
“You don’t see that a lot in the NBA, so that already shows individually how bought in each player is. So for us, it’s just about doing it together, doing it as a collective, getting better each and every day on the court, off the court. Because I think we all value getting to that brotherhood off the court as well. It’s just as important as doing stuff on the court.”
And White’s expectations for the Hornets are pretty clear.
“We’ve got a chance to be a really good team and surprise a lot of people, but we’ve got to put the work in,” White said. “And what comes with the work is doing what we’re doing now.”
But for a few minutes on Wednesday, instead of being in the weight room at the Novant Health Training Center or shooting on the main court inside the Spectrum Center, White found himself on the arena’s concourse delivering an assist.
The Hornets teamed up with Bank of America for their annual Hornets Day of Service, an event that brings together more than 200 employee volunteers to support local nonprofit organizations across the region. The focus was on expanding access to essential resources for Charlotte residents experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.
White, along with Grant Williams, were thrilled to be part of spreading the message.
“It means a lot,” White said. “My big thing is mental health. So, that’s one of the pillars that I live by, my foundation stands on. So, I’m excited. It’s a dope, dope moment for me, dope moment for the community as well. Me being from here but also being fairly new to the city and to the organization, I just want to show my appreciation for the community.
“And this is one of those ways I can do that.”
It’s been an offseason of change for White and the Hornets.
With Ball off to Minnesota and Bridges sent to Phoenix, Charlotte will have a different look this upcoming season. Naz Reid is the centerpiece of the Hornets’ roster reconstruction, combining forces with White. Reid joins former Duke standout Grayson Allen and veteran Royce O’Neale as the Hornets’ key newcomers.
In a revamped Eastern Conference that got stronger via the additions of Jaylen Brown and LeBron James in Philadelphia — not to mention Giannis Antetokounmpo’s arrival in Miami — it could be difficult for the Hornets to make much noise. Getting to the postseason certainly won’t be an easy feat for a team that lost to Orlando in the second round of the play-in tournament and holds the NBA’s longest current postseason drought.
Still, White believes there’s a way to let naysayers know how the Hornets can be a good team in a tough conference.
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“I think just letting the work show,” White said. “I think we don’t got to say too much on it. Everybody’s going to have an opinion and that’s just what comes with being in the NBA. I think it’s a great opportunity for us in terms of the East getting stronger, playing against obviously high-level competition every night. But the East getting stronger, I’m excited for it. I think our team is excited for it. It’s going to be a challenge for sure.
“Everybody’s bought in, and I think everybody can tell because we’re all here right now. So for us, it’s going to be an exciting challenge and I think we’re all excited for it.”
Including Reid.
White has known Reid since their high school days — they were in the same grade level — and he’s confident Reid will provide a significant boost for the Hornets in a number of areas.
“He’s always been super talented, always been able to do stuff that you don’t see at a guy his size,” White said. “So he’s always been that way. He has a unique skill set in terms of being able to shoot the ball, put it on the floor, do a lot of different things on the basketball floor, which is so unique in today’s game.
“And so I’m excited to play with a player like him that can do a lot of different things. Excited to also get to know him on another level with him being part of The Hive now.”
That’s a little easier at the moment, given the influx of Hornets who’ve been hanging around the facility the last few days and throughout the summer. It’s allowed bonds to begin forming and strengthening, giving them a head start on a process that’s a necessity.
“Being here is important,” White said. “It’s important right now, especially when you’ve got not a totally different team, but you got some new individuals joining the team. Grayson Allen’s here as well. The rookies are here. Dorian Finney-Smith is here. You don’t normally see that during the summer. So, I think it’s important for us to just gain some traction going into the training camp. It’s going to be dope.
“A lot of guys being here this early, not just being here, but you start stuff early — the locker room talks, the meal room talks. And all that stuff is important. So, yeah, exciting times for sure.”
Even if the former UNC Tar Heel is currently outnumbered by Duke products on Charlotte’s roster. At least now White is on the same team with the likes of Allen, who came on board along with O’Neale from Phoenix in the deal sending Bridges to the Suns.
“The one thing I’ve always noticed about G.A. is his ability to impact winning,” White said. “Everywhere he’s gone, he’s won. Whether it’s Milwaukee. … he’s been a winner everywhere he goes. He’s been part of a winning culture. He’s been part of a winning organization. So I think first and foremost, he knows what winning looks like, and he knows what it takes to win at this level. I think obviously being one of the best shooters in the NBA is going to help us a ton.
“And something that’s underrated about him is his ability to put the ball on the floor, playmake as well, get into the paint. He has a variety of finishes, slow step finishes around the rim, great touch. He has a lot of game, obviously, but I think everybody sees him as just a shooter. But he’s a guy who’s like an elite competitor. He’s a guy that can put the ball on the floor, playmake, get in the paint, finish around the rim, like I said. So yeah, I’m excited to share the floor with him.”
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