Charlotte Hornets: Is Deadline Deal Worth Splitting Core?

The Charlotte Hornets have been rumored to be shopping two members of their Big Three. Is it worth potentially disrupting chemistry to get a deal done?

Although one member is sidelined with a knee injury and the other two aren’t playing at the level many would’ve hoped, the Charlotte Hornets’ Big Three is quite good.

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It’s not at the level of, say, the Celtics’ Paul Pierce–Ray Allen–Kevin Garnett squad or the Dwyane Wade–LeBron James–Chris Bosh Miami Heat team, but the Hornets’ core of three — Kemba Walker, Lance Stephenson, and Al Jefferson — is one of the best in the league. At least, it is on paper.

The issue is, Charlotte’s Big Three has not played as advertised.

Kemba Walker, originally thought to be the third option, has actually played much better than anyone expected him to, and is now averaging 18.8 points per game. This is coming, mind you, after what was one of the worst first months in the entire league.

Walker has stepped up big time, and the Hornets, playing much better than they were during the first half of the season, can thank Kemba for their turnaround. When injuries cost Charlotte three key players, it was Walker who put the club on his back and led them to their best stretch of the season.

Unfortunately, the Hornets’ star in the making is set to miss extended time after undergoing a knee operation, and has no intention on rushing his comeback.

The other two members of the Big Three, Stephenson and Jefferson, have both been seriously underwhelming this year. Both had career seasons in 2013-14, but have been battling injuries since, preventing either from getting in any sort of real rhythm.

Of the two, it’s probably been Stephenson that has had the hardest time finding his footing, although Jefferson has been bad as of late. The former was brought in during the offseason, and thus, he’s had to figure out his proper role with a new club. It hasn’t been easy for the 24-year-old.

But naturally, struggle is a part of any NBA player’s journey. If the Hornets had quit on Kemba Walker when he couldn’t get his shooting percentage up better than .400, he wouldn’t have been able to guide them through a critical stretch of the season.

If the Hornets had quit on Michael Kidd-Gilchrist when he couldn’t develop his outside shot, they would’ve missed out on his now near-nightly double-doubles. If they had quit on Cody Zeller last season when — well, you get it: it’s all about patience.

So where does one draw the line? Why have Al Jefferson and Lance Stephenson — two key cogs in the Charlotte machine — been the names being floated around in Hornets deadline-deals?

For both fans and the team’s management, there’s been a clear change in the mindset since years prior. The rebranding of the franchise has come with new expectations — expectations of a playoff appearance.

The Hornets were able to slowly make their way into the postseason picture, and now hold the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference, but that still doesn’t seem to be enough for Charlotte. The rumors keep coming.

For Jefferson, any deadline move would likely come out of fear more than anything else. Charlotte relies heavily on its man in the middle, and his contract is set to expire at the end of this season.

He does have a player option that he could pick up, but if he decides to test the market, Charlotte could find themselves either surrendering more cap space (and obviously, millions of dollars) than they would’ve wanted to.

And the other possibility, the more scary prospect of the two, is the Hornets losing Jefferson during his free agency and having to move forward with Bismack Biyombo as their full-time center.

Deals involving Big Al have been a major topic of discussion for Hornets fans as of late, but right now, it doesn’t appear that has been the case with Charlotte’s front office. The same, though, cannot be said about Stephenson.

While a trade for Jefferson may be more about a lack of leverage, one involving Stephenson would signal Charlotte management giving up on the recent signee. As previously stated, Stephenson has had a pretty awful year with the Hornets, only averaging 9.3 points per game with a PER just .04 higher than that.

He’s been visibly lost on both ends of the court, and while he’s had a few good games, none have done much to instill any hope among Charlotte-faithful.

But still, as much as he’s stunk it up, it’s not time to give up on him.

The Brooklyn Nets have been potential targets to dump Stephenson, with either Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez, or Deron Williams serving as the hypothetical return. But trading a guy (Lance) one year removed from an excellent season and an even better postseason for any one of those overpaid and injury-prone players would be asinine.

After all, Stephenson was expected to fit perfectly and didn’t, so who’s to say that Charlotte’s fate with any of the members of the Nets Big Three would be any different?

Midseason shakeups — whether it be the firing/hiring of a coach, a trade, or a free-agent signing — are usually tough for the players. Trades can often be the hardest as well. Stephenson appears to be getting along with his teammates quite well, and there haven’t been any talks of his cancerous ways (like there were last season).

A trade would mean at least two players saying goodbye to their friends, moving their families, and having to adjust to a whole new life, really. It likely wouldn’t be as smooth as some fans may think, and for that reason, could affect the chemistry of a team that has been the second-best in the East since 2015 started.

Charlotte sits comfortably in the playoffs right now, and with a 10-game stretch that only features two playoff teams, the Hornets are in a good position moving forward. The hard part of the season is over, and it’s now time to let this team keep doing it’s thing, because it’s thing has been oh-so beautiful.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it…right?

The Charlotte Hornets core is a fragile and precious thing. Please, Rich Cho, for now, leave it be.

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