The Charlotte Hornets are entering a new era. LaMelo Ball is gone. Naz Reid is in. Coby White is locked up and expected to take over at point guard, and he believes the franchise can make noise next season. Amid this, the Hornets are giving Kobe Stewart a shot on an Exhibit 10 deal.

Rod Boone, Charlotte Observer Hornets reporter, tweeted the team signed an undrafted 6’7″ wing. The former Presbyterian standout has another opportunity to compete for an NBA roster spot. Stewart enters Charlotte’s training camp with professional experience, G League production, and a recent Summer League audition with the Milwaukee Bucks already under his belt.

The 24-year-old spent the 2025-26 season with the Wisconsin Herd, Milwaukee’s G League affiliate, before joining the Bucks for the 2026 NBA Summer League. Kobe Stewart made an early impression during the California Classic, putting up 13 points and eight rebounds in Milwaukee’s matchup with the Brooklyn Nets. He shot 4-of-6 from the field and knocked down three of his four attempts from beyond the arc.

In fact, Stewart was also effective in cleaning up the glass with 8 rebounds. Stewart could very well have remained in the conversation for Milwaukee’s roster, but his next opportunity will come with Charlotte.

The Hornets’ Exhibit 10 deal gives Stewart another chance to show that his game can translate to the NBA level. If he does not make Charlotte’s final roster, the structure of the agreement could provide a path for him to remain within the organization and join the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s G League affiliate.

That would give the Hornets an opportunity to continue developing a player who has already demonstrated an ability to contribute in the G League.

Stewart appeared in 34 G League games during the 2025-26 season, including 33 with the Wisconsin Herd and one with the Memphis Hustle. He averaged 9.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 21.2 minutes per game while shooting 49.4 percent from the field.

Before turning professional, Stewart built an impressive résumé at Presbyterian College. He finished his career ranked first in steals in the program’s Division I era with 157 and third in rebounds with 594.

Stewart also finished fifth in field goals made with 470 and fifth in points with 1,207. The 24-year-old ranked seventh in three-point field goals made with 126 and assists with 210, while his 52 blocks ranked eighth.

He also played in a school-record 151 games and recorded 49 career double-figure scoring performances.

His final season with the Blue Hose earned him Second Team All-Big South honors. He left Presbyterian as one of the more accomplished players in the program’s Division I history. Now he hopes to make the same impact in the NBA.

Hornets have provided him the opportunity, and they are on a path of their own. After missing the playoffs in the last decade, they made the play-in last season.

So, the expectation to surprise the new Eastern Conference remains.

Hornets’ new PG believes in the team

Coby White is not backing away from the Charlotte Hornets. Now expected to take over as Charlotte’s starting point guard with LaMelo Ball gone, White likes what he sees.

“I think we’ve got a really, really good team,” White said to The Charlotte Observer. “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.”

Charlotte moved on from Ball in a four-team trade that brought Naz Reid to the team. The Hornets also sent Miles Bridges to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, and a future first-round pick.

The result is a roster that looks much different from the one Charlotte had a year ago.

White is expected to run the offense. Second-year guard Kon Knueppel is projected to start at shooting guard.

Brandon Miller should remain on the wing. Reid is expected to start at power forward, while Moussa Diabaté could open the season at center.

“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.

The Hornets have young talent. They have added veterans. They have a new starting point guard and a new-look frontcourt. Now they have to make it work. White believes they can.