Charlotte Hornets Would be Crazy to Trade Al Jefferson at the Deadline

The Charlotte Hornets were wrecked by injuries throughout much of the first half of the 2015-16 season. But now that they are close to full health, the Hornets are playing like the team many picked to make a sleeper run in the East.

But with the Hornets gaining momentum, they still look like they could use a minor trade to get them over the hump, and the name that’s being floated around in the Queen City is the heart-and-soul of the Hornets, Al Jefferson.

There are some compelling reasons as to why the Hornets would be willing to part ways with “Big Al.” For starters, he’s getting up there in age, and second, he becomes a free agent after this season. It’s looking really unlikely that he will be in the Hornets’ teal come October.

But Charlotte would also be crazy to trade him right now. Outside of Jefferson, the Hornets don’t have a reliable scorer in the paint, which takes pressure off of All-Star point guard Kemba Walker and do-it-all two guard Nicolas Batum. If Jefferson was to be traded, Walker and Batum would become vulnerable to being singled out by opposing defenses.

But while the Hornets’ front office is considering trading their prized big man, Hornets fans should rest easy knowing that getting a trade for Big Al will be incredibly tough. What’s holding up a potential Jefferson trade is his expiring contract, which makes other teams hesitant to pull the trigger. If they really needed him, they would wait until the offseason to sign him outright.

So while there are reasons why the Hornets should pursue trading Al Jefferson, it would be a bad option now, especially since the team is currently in a mini-rebuild.