Should the Hornets Trade Jalen McDaniels?
No, Jalen McDaniels is not a star player. No, Jalen McDaniels is not someone the franchise believes is a "building block". But he is, however, someone the Charlotte Hornets should keep on the roster and move forward with into the future.
The 25-year-old wing will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and is currently playing on a $1.9m base salary. So contenders looking for cheap, yet quality bench help will be interested in making a move for him at the deadline. Teams like the Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, and Toronto Raptors have reportedly expressed interest in McDaniels over the past month.
In my opinion, it doesn't make all that much sense to send McDaniels off and get likely one future second round pick in return. Yes, GM Mitch Kupchak has done a wonderful job of finding talent in the second round, but for the most part, it's still a crapshoot at that point of the draft. Why trade off a proven bench piece in McDaniels for someone you hope can develop into the very same thing?
These are the types of players Charlotte needs to start keeping around. They did so last offseason by agreeing to a four-year deal with Cody Martin and should look to do the same, in some capacity, with McDaniels. I wouldn't give him four years or $32 million but a two-year deal with a third year team option seems fair for both sides.
Bench play is huge for successful teams, but even more so for the small market teams like Charlotte, who aren't going to attract the league's top players in free agency. That work needs to be done through the draft, maybe with a bit of luck.
McDaniels' length and athleticism are what makes him an intriguing player. Head coach Steve Clifford talked about his development a few weeks ago.
"He's having to play two different positions, so he's guarding threes and fours. I think as he continues to work on his technique part of it, he's a good competitor. He's got good size. He's worked on his shot a lot with Bruce [Kreutzer], which has helped him. So, he's confident and he's a lot more confident with his fundamentals there. But he's played well very consistently against a lot of kinds of teams, so hopefully, it's something he can continue to build on."
Now, by no means am I saying McDaniels is "untradeable" but unless someone is willing to give up more than just a single two for him, the Hornets shouldn't entertain it.
You can follow us for future coverage by liking us on Facebook & following us on Twitter:
Facebook - All Hornets
Twitter - @All_Hornets and Schuyler Callihan at @Callihan_.
