Trade Rumor: Now Jazz, Pacers, and Raptors also seem to be following Jalen McDaniels’ footsteps

You’d think LaMelo Ball is the Hornet’s most sought-out player by other NBA teams as the trade deadline approaches, but it seems that lately the one who is gathering most attention is Jalen McDaniels. The player’s is a key member of Charlotte’s rotation and apparently teams are lining up for negotiations. 

McDaniels is in his fourth year for Charlotte, and as he readies for unrestricted free agency in the summer, it’s only natural that the team is recieving trade calls on him. Recently confirmed by Shams Charania of The Athletic, five teams have already been in contact about his availability, including the San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers, Utah Jazz, and Phoenix Suns.

The 24-year-old foward has played every single Hornets game this season (51 in total), averaging 10.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. One of his best performances of the campaign so far was his 26-point game two weeks ago against the Boston Celtics.

Watch McDaniel’s highlights as he scored 5 three-pointers against the league leaders:

As these four teams are closely monitoring player Jalen McDaniels, the Hornets maintain their value for the 6-foot-9 forward whom they have developed over a long time already. Some of the suitors may prefer to wait until free agency to court McDaniels, who will be unrestricted, instead of trading an asset to acquire him now while having to compensate him in July.

The first team reported to show interest was San Antonio, as head coach Greg Popovich doesn’t have the same rosters like his championship teams years ago, but has been doing all he can to try and keep the Spurs as a competitive team. The Spurs are in the need for a young power foward to invest in and hopefully unlock his potential.

It’s been on the trading speculation news that the Phoenix Suns have been on the lookout for an upgrade to their frontcourt ever since the start of the campaign, and McDaniels would be a precise replacement for Jae Crowder, as they keep looking to find a team for the veteran who hasn’t played a second all season.

As for the Raptors, it seems the six-foot-nine player would be a perfect fit for coach Nick Nurse’s strategy. Nevertheless, it would come off as a huge surprise if they are able to cash-in for McDaniels, considering Toronto has been reported to having some money problems.

A petition for the Hornets to keep McDaniels

Even after winning two games in a row, the Hornets have struggled a great deal this tournament, as they currently own one of the worst records in the league at 15-36. Although sometimes it seems logical to pursue trades for improvement, lots of Charlotte fans are opposed to trading a player like McDaniels, especially after having invested in his development for so long.

Sport’s journalist Nicholas Mullick starts his petition with “In a season full of losses, Jalen McDaniel’s emergence has been a win for the Hornets”, as you can read below:

In a season full of losses, Jalen McDaniels’ emergence has been a win for the #Hornets. #LetsFly

Dear Hornets, please extend Jalen McDaniels (via @NicholasMullick) https://t.co/0uP0x8rebo

— Swarm and Sting (@SwarmnSting) January 28, 2023

With their eyes set on Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 NBA Draft, the team will likely be open for business to sell a foward ahead of the trade deadline. However, veterans such as Mason Plumlee and Kelly Oubre Jr. are on expiring contracts and are two potential assets for negotiations.

Most of our favorite sport betting sites consider Charlotte to possess the third worst odds in the entire league to actually qualify for Playoffs, as the team ranas 14th in the Eastern Conference.