No other team in the NBA seems to be more injury-ravaged at the moment than the Phoenix Suns, and their play has suffered a precipitous drop-off as a result. With Chris Paul joining Devin Booker, who hasn't played since the Suns' Christmas Day loss against the Denver Nuggets due to a groin injury, on their growing injury report, Phoenix needs to cash in on its trade chips to keep up in the ever-competitive Western Conference.
Enter young Charlotte Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Suns are one of a few teams that have shown interest in trading for McDaniels. Charania added that the Suns could acquire the 6'9 combo forward in a three-team framework that involves trading away Jae Crowder to a contending team.
“Sources tell me that the Suns have emerged as a team with interest in (Jalen) McDaniels, among several others in recent weeks.”
NBA Insider @ShamsCharania reports on teams showing interest in the Charlotte Hornets forward. pic.twitter.com/eyv3keH3Oi
— The Rally (@TheRally) January 10, 2023
Jalen McDaniels has emerged as a promising piece for the Hornets despite being one of the worst teams in the association. Amid Gordon Hayward and Kelly Oubre Jr.'s injuries, the Hornets have called upon McDaniels and for the most part, the four-year pro out of San Diego State has proven capable of defending multiple positions all the while spacing the floor with a reliable enough three-point shot.
Through 41 games, McDaniels is averaging 10.9 points. 4.9 boards, 1.1 steals and 1.2 made threes per game. Should the Suns acquire the 24-year old forward, he promises to be a hand-and-glove fit alongside more established playmakers such as Devin Booker and Chris Paul. Moreover, he could give the Suns another lengthy forward to defend some of the best scorers in the association alongside other quality defenders such as Mikal Bridges and Torrey Craig.
It's unclear what the Hornets' asking price for McDaniels is, given his solid complementary production at such a young age. It also is quite unclear why the Hornets would decide to trade him away, given their status as a rebuilding team. Conventional wisdom dictates that the Hornets would choose to trade away veterans such as Gordon Hayward or Mason Plumlee instead.
Nevertheless, with McDaniels set to enter unrestricted free agency next season, the Hornets may choose to cash in on him as a trade asset instead of giving him a fat contract.
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