Charlotte Hornets guard Coby White and a group of teammates spent a week together in Miami this month. They got back to Charlotte on Aug. 20.
White described the trip on Aug. 22 at Rally Pickleball in Charlotte's South End, where Brandon Miller hosted the first Celebrity Pickleball Classic for his Team Miller Foundation.
Most of the roster has been in Charlotte since early August working out at the facility. Getting that group somewhere other than Charlotte for a week was White's idea.
"A lot of us just went to Miami, got back Thursday," White said. "We went for the week, so that was pretty dope. Got to grab dinner, hit the golf course; it was a fun time for all of us. I wanted to get together outside of being here in Charlotte. It was great."
The event featured guests like Kon Knueppel, Hornets coach Charles Lee, Dell Curry, and Muggsy Bogues. Proceeds benefit the Team Miller Foundation, supporting food aid in Charlotte and a mobile mammogram unit for breast cancer screening. Yolanda Miller, Brandon Miller's mother, is a survivor.
Charlotte rebuilt the roster around Miller and Knueppel over the summer. The front office traded LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid, sent Miles Bridges to the Phoenix Suns for Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale, and moved Tre Mann to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Dennis Schroder. Dorian Finney-Smith came over from the Houston Rockets. Charlotte took Washington forward Hannes Steinbach 14th overall in the 2026 draft and Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson Jr. 18th overall.
White agreed to a three-year, $74 million deal to stay on June 25, first reported by ESPN's Shams Charania. The contract became official July 6. Charlotte is expected to open the season with White, Miller, Knueppel, Reid, and Moussa Diabaté in the starting lineup and Schroder, Allen, O'Neale, Grant Williams, Steinbach, and Ryan Kalkbrenner among the primary reserves.
Earlier in August, White told Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer that the turnout for the Charlotte workouts was not something he has seen often in the NBA.
Reid is coming off an injury and told Boone he had not been able to work out with the group yet, though he has known White for years and is still getting to know Miller, Knueppel, Diabaté, and Pat Connaughton.
"I think togetherness is huge," Reid said, "kind of being together and enjoying some of that off time together and dinners together. Sometimes guys on the team like to golf and all that type of stuff. It's continuity, just bringing that time together and just kind of sharing expressions and learning about each other.
"So that way, once you get on the court, you know what you're fighting for and how you're fighting, and why you're fighting," Reid continued. "Continuity is big, big, big, big. And I think that's something that they embrace as well in Charlotte."
White arrived in Charlotte on Feb. 4, acquired from the Chicago Bulls with Mike Conley Jr. for Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng, and three future second-round picks. A left calf strain kept him out of his first seven games with the team. His Hornets debut came Feb. 24 at the United Center against Chicago, and he scored 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting.
White averaged 15.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 19.3 minutes over 21 Charlotte games, shooting 46.1% from the field, 39.1% from 3, and 83.9% free throws. Before the trade, he led Chicago with 18.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in 29 games.
In the Play-In Tournament opener against Miami, White scored 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting, including 5-of-8 from 3-point range, with five rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 26 minutes. He hit a turnaround 3-pointer with 10.8 seconds left to force overtime, leading to a 127-126 win. In the second game, a 121-90 loss to Orlando, White scored four points on 1-of-5 shooting in 17 minutes.
The seventh overall pick in the 2019 draft, White spent his first six-plus seasons with the Bulls. He grew up in Goldsboro, North Carolina, and played a season at North Carolina.
A 4-14 start gave way to a 44-38 finish last season, Charlotte's first winning record since 2021-22. The Hornets have not reached the playoffs since 2016.
Charlotte opens the 2026-27 season on the road against the Brooklyn Nets. The home opener is against the Atlanta Hawks.
