Boston Celtics: A Realistic Big-Man Wish List For 2016 Trade Deadline

3.) Al Jefferson

Bringing Al Jefferson back to the Boston Celtics isn’t the ideal option, but it’s realistic and low-risk.

The Charlotte Hornets have been playing well without Jefferson this year, focusing more on ball movement than isolation to put up points. Fifth-year guard Kemba Walker has solidified himself as the clear-cut number-one option for Charlotte behind a scoring average of 19.5 points per game, and Nicolas Batum (16.3 points per game) is the number-two.

Jefferson was recently declared out for upwards of six weeks after tearing the meniscus in his right knee, and even before the injury, he was having a down season — by his standards, at least. With the Hornets expected to let Jefferson walk in his upcoming free agency anyway, the asking price for Big Al will be lower than ever.

So what does this mean for the Boston Celtics? Well, one interesting prospect is a straight-up swap — Jefferson for David Lee. Lee, a Celtics’ offseason acquisition, has picked up three consecutive DNPs, and it’s become quite clear that he won’t be sporting the green and white for much longer.

The Hornets already have shot-creators in Walker, Batum, Jeremy Lamb and Jeremy Lin, so bringing in a versatile forward like Lee, who is an exceptional passer for a big man, could be a highly beneficial move. Lee doesn’t have three-point range, but he knows how to play in a motion-centered offense, even when he isn’t getting plays called for him (see: Golden State Warriors tenure)

Trading Jefferson, who has made the Hornets worse this year overall (minus-0.6) would free Charlotte from playing time obligations and allow its cast to start to jell without Jefferson.

For the Boston Celtics, the potential to add another dynamic scoring option is mouth-watering, considering the team’s Achilles heel as of late has been an inability to close out close games. Jefferson is a high-IQ player whose shiftiness on the block makes him a great late-game option.

Starting Jefferson might cause some defensive issues for the Celtics, but his flaws as a stopper have been largely masked by Steve Clifford, though Clifford’s conservative defensive scheme differs significantly from Stevens’ aggressive and trap-oriented design.

Still, the Celtics are in desperate need of a scorer’s touch, and Jefferson can provide it. This would be a low-risk option that Danny Ainge could fall back on, assuming he misses the bigger and better trade targets.

Next: Bigger and Better