The Charlotte Hornets reportedly want to keep center Al Jefferson and have no intention of trading him before the February deadline. Preliminary contract extension talks with guard Kemba Walker, meanwhile, have started.
Bringing in Jefferson last season started the Hornets on the right path, and the team hopes to keep him in Charlotte for the foreseeable future. He has a player option on his contract for next season, though, and the Hornets reportedly plan to give him a money incentive to stay.
"(Trading Jefferson depends) on the conversations Al has with the team leading up to the deadline," Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler wrote Wednesday. "If there is a sense that he's going shopping, maybe they look to trade him, but the fact that he just got there bodes well for them keeping him especially if they'll up the money, which they can and likely will."
Although he struggled with a foot injury in the playoffs, Jefferson enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career last season in Charlotte. In addition to thriving in the Hornets' offense, the new additions of Lance Stephenson and Gordon Hayward keep the team moving in the right direction as the Eastern Conference becomes increasingly competitive.
Charlotte is also exploring the option of locking down Walker for the foreseeable future. Hornets general manager Rich Cho said the team has begun to explore a contract extension for Walker, who becomes a restricted free agent in July.
"We've had some initial talks," Cho told the Charlotte Observer. "I don't want to get into discussions because I don't think that would be fair to Kemba or his agent. It's just started."
Rick Bonnell of the Observer pointed out Charlotte doesn't have a history of re-signing players on rookie-scale contracts before they reach restricted free agency. Walker and the Hornets have until Oct. 31 to agree on an extension; if no agreement is reached, Walker will become a restricted free agent in July.
