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The Pistons could miss out on Coby White in free agency after the Hornets traded LaMelo Ball to the Timberwolves

The offseason has only just gotten underway in the NBA, but the Detroit Pistons have already been dealt some tough blows. They missed out on a potential trade for Tyler Herro after he was sent to the Milwaukee Bucks, and they didn’t even get a chance to sign Austin Reaves in free agency after he signed a four-year, $185 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.

Now, it appears as if their quest to add another one of their top free agent targets, Coby White, has taken a hit. On Thursday morning, White’s team, the Charlotte Hornets, traded star point guard LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves, opening up a big hole in their backcourt. And now that Ball is gone, the Hornets are set to make a big push to retain White, which could spell bad news for the Pistons.

Pistons Dealt Discouraging Coby White Update

Detroit hasn’t been shy in expressing its desire to get Cade Cunningham some help in the scoring department early on this offseason. The guys they have been linked to (Herro, Reaves, White, Norman Powell) all can score at a high clip, meaning they could fit in perfectly alongside Cunningham in the backcourt.

After a slow start to his career with the Chicago Bulls, White finally broke out in the 2023-24 campaign (19.1 PPG, 5.1 APG, 4.5 RPG, 44.7 FG%) before he averaged 20.4 points per game in 74 contests the ensuing year. Things didn’t go as well for him last season, which led to the Bulls dealing him to the Hornets ahead of the trade deadline.

While he came off the bench for Charlotte, the team now has a starting role wide open in its backcourt, and it wants White to fill it. The Pistons were one of several teams showing interest in White ahead of free agency, but now that the Hornets are clearly all-in on bringing him back to town, that may result in them missing out on another potential backcourt partner for Cunningham.

“The Hornets have successfully pried Naz Reid away from the Wolves and will now try to retain Pistons target Coby White in free agency,” NBA insider Marc Stein reported in a post on X shortly after news of this trade broke.

Who Should the Pistons Target if They Miss Out on Coby White?

GettyThe Charlotte Hornets want Coby White back next year.

After swinging and missing on both Herro and Reaves, coming up short in their pursuit of White would be a tough blow for the Pistons. That would leave Powell as their primary option moving forward, and while the Miami Heat seem unlikely to re-sign him after acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Bucks, there will also be several other teams looking to bring him to town.

Maybe Detroit revisits a potential trade for Herro, but it doesn’t seem like Milwaukee is in a rush to move him right now. White could still decide to hit the open market, but if the Hornets want to re-sign him, they will have the inside track to do so. That may force the Pistons to pivot yet again, and considering how free agency hasn’t even started yet, that’s a less-than-ideal outcome for the team.