NBA Trade Rumors: 5 Teams That Should Trade For Al Horford
By Jon Shames
2. Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets need some help.
After a promising start to the season, Charlotte has since become an afterthought in the East. The team is 2.5 games back of the eighth seed, but has looked awful in recent showings, and also has a tough stretch coming up with games against Cleveland, Miami and Chicago.
The Hornets can’t afford another playoff-less season. Luckily, Horford just might be the guy to take them to the promised land.
With Al Jefferson injured and Kemba Walker hitting an offensive bump in an otherwise-stellar season, Charlotte is struggling to keep its offense on-par with its opponents. Save for three overtime contests, Charlotte has failed to score 100 points in any of its last eight games.
Al Jefferson, one of the NBA’s top low-post players, has been an integral part of Charlotte’s attack for the past three seasons. Unfortunately for the team, he suffered a tear in his meniscus last month, and has yet to return to the court. Even before his injury, Jefferson looked slow-footed and was a defensive liability.
Bringing in Horford would immediately help the Hornets on both sides of the ball. Horford would be an excellent pick-and-roll partner with the speedy Kemba Walker, and would also help Charlotte’s talented point guard develop more as a playmaker, rather than just a scorer.
Horford’s ability to hit shots from the outside also fits the Hornets’ new offensive resolve, which values ball movement and floor spacing just as much as individual scoring ability.
If Charlotte is confident that they’d be able to re-sign Horford this summer, the team could send Frank Kaminsky, Jefferson, and Troy Daniels to Atlanta for Horford and Mike Scott.
Scott, a solid “3-and-D” player, has only averaged 14.5 minutes per game for the Hawks this year. Still the 27-year-old has converted three-pointers at a 40 percent clip, and has shown an ability to heat up quickly.
In this deal, Atlanta can rid themselves of Scott’s two-year contract, while acquiring Kaminsky and Daniels, both of whom have shown impressive flashes this season. Daniels is a lethal three-point shooter who recently exploded for 28 points against the Sacramento Kings. He is a poor defender, but has limitless range. We know how much Atlanta values elite shooters (even with shoddy defense), so Daniels would be a good pickup for Budenholzer’s squad.
Kaminsky could very-well become one of the league’s top power forwards when it’s all said and done. The seven-footer can hit the deep ball and pass like a guard. He’s also an underrated defender, and perhaps most importantly, just 22 years old. If Atlanta is looking for a safe, but high-upside prospect to fill their frontcourt void (assuming they part with Horford), Kaminsky isn’t a bad option.
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