The Charlotte Hornets have come a long way in a very short period of time, and the Sacramento Kings had better be taking notes. One opportunity the Kings need to pay attention to is Coby White, who is an unrestricted free agent. If the Hornets take their eyes off him, he could be a great King.
White was drafted seventh overall by the Chicago Bulls in 2019 and played there until 2026. The Bulls and the Hornets made a trade that sent White and Mike Conley to Charlotte. In return, Chicago got Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng, and two future second-round picks, part of their own rebuild.
Conley was waived and made his way back to the Timberwolves, which was where he was before all of these trade shenanigans started. White, on the other hand, proved to be instantly impactful on the Hornets, bringing a strong veteran presence to a mostly young and inexperienced team.
He definitely played a part in the late-season run the Hornets went on, so they need to keep him. When they traded for him, White only had a few months left on his contract. That makes him an unrestricted free agent unless Charlotte re-signs him. The Kings should still slide into his DMs.
White would make a great addition to the Kings
Without question, White is one of the most underrated shooters in the league. He is a dynamic scorer with incredible speed and body control. That allows him to throw down some incredible moves that pull defenders out of position, open up lanes, and draw a surprising number of fouls.
The downside to his game is that he is, at best, a mediocre defender who tends to lose focus on that end of the court. On top of that, he's not really a point guard, which is something the Kings need. White has shown improvement in both areas, though he still has a long way to go.
Oddly enough, Doug Christie might be the guy to coach a better defender out of White. As for his skills as a point guard, having a mentor like Russell Westbrook on the same roster could help unlock that potential. A move to Sacramento might be the right next step for him.
In return, the Kings get an experienced player who is well under 30 and would bring some real offensive heat to the floor. On top of that, he has the potential to be even more if Sacramento helps him develop and he finds his own rhythm with their growing roster of young stars.
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