Should Charlotte Extend McDaniels and Richards?

Charlotte have until the end of the regular season to decide.

Jalen McDaniels is clearly a man in demand. In recent weeks he has surfaced in trade rumors with several teams including the Phoenix Suns "Expressing interest". All the reports so far have suggested opposing teams are interested in McDaniels, rather than Charlotte being open to moving him I'm a staunch supporter of keeping McDaniels, but rather than go into free agency could Charlotte lock him down now with an extension?

Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer reported earlier this week that McDaniels is a "Favorite" of Charlotte's General Manager, it seems plausible Kupchak could try and sign him to an extension. In the current CBA there is a veteran extension rule which allows players on a 3+ year contract to be extended up to 120% of the NBA's average salary, this can be signed at any time during the contract. That means at any point between now and the end of this season Charlotte can extend McDaniels for a maximum of $58 over 4 years. 

For either side to reach an agreement there's some key questions which need answering.

- Will Miles Bridges eventually be back with the Hornets?

- Does Jalen McDaniels want to be in Charlotte long term?

- Is an extension in the $10-15 per year range acceptable to McDaniels and his agent?

- What does PJ Washington's future look like in Charlotte? 

The maximum of $15 per year seems on the high side for me unless McDaniels is your long term starter. However, Fischer did report that opposing teams are projecting McDaniels to earn in that range. Personally, I would try and come to an agreement on something in the $9-12 range where he can fill in as a spot starter and 6th man. However, on the open free agency market players are overpaid all the time (See Gordon Hayward), so maybe McDaniels does want to explore the open market for more money and a starting job? If McDaniels were to be offered an extension before the trade deadline and turn down it down, that really would set the alarm bells off in Mitch Kupchak's office and accelerate potential trade talks.

Nick Richards is also eligible for the same maximum extension as McDaniels, although due to playing a position of lesser value and not having quite as successful of a year would be looking at a much lower number. If you're a believer in Richards' future an extension in the $6-10 range seems fair, but with Charlotte's depth at center the team might be more inclined to take this one into free agency.

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