The Golden State Warriors stole Seth Curry from the Charlotte Hornets last offseason, but they have an ideal chance to grab a more impactful guard from the same franchise in free agency this time around.
Coby White is hardly embedded at the Hornets necessarily after only being traded from the Chicago Bulls mid-season, and the Warriors could offer the young guard a more attractive role that may be enough to lure him away from Charlotte.
Warriors could try and steal Coby White from the Hornets in free agency
If it's true that Golden State have interest in Anfernee Simons and Collin Sexton as Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints speculated earlier in the week, then just as much interest should be placed in White as another undersized, defensively-challenged but explosive guard capable of uplifting the team's offense struggles.
Potential access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception could put White within the Warriors' price range when it comes to free agency, but more importantly it may be a primary offensive role that proves the front office's biggest selling point.
With Jimmy Butler likely to spend the first-half of next season on the sidelines, White may need to be Golden State's second offensive option behind Stephen Curry, or potentially third if they decide to re-sign Kristaps Porzingis -- though they may not be able to afford both.
That's far more than what he'll get with Charlotte where he ranked fifth in field-goal attempts this season behind LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges and Kon Knueppel. After averaging 19.1 points and 20.4 points on over 15 field-goal attempts in his previous two seasons with the Bulls, White's numbers dropped to 15.6 points on 11 attempts following his move to the Hornets.
Coby White already floated as potential Warriors target
White was first proposed as a potential Warriors target almost 12 months ago, with rumors swirling over his future as he entered the final year of his contract. Now, Sam Gordon of the San Fransisco Chronicle has already proposed the former seventh overall pick as a target this year given Golden State's desire to go younger and find a player in or entering their prime.
"White shares similarities with Simons as a ballhandling, spot-up shooting combo guard at a slender 6-4 who averaged 17.4 points while shooting 44.6% overall and 36.2% from 3-point range. At 26, he played this season for Chicago and Charlotte, helping key a Hornets postseason run (after moving at the trade deadline) that ended in the play-in tournament," Gordon wrote.
The Curry signing didn't work out at all as the veteran sharpshooter was limited to only 10 games and less than 135 total minutes, but White would assuredly be a far more impactful piece from the Hornets who'd likely average 25+ minutes and be an integral part of an otherwise aging Warrior team.
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