Al Jefferson was long regarded by the Charlotte Hornets as a player they wanted to keep around along with Nicolas Batum. The Hornets kept Batum for a big number but Al has not been quite as locked in with Charlotte.
Jefferson might not be an ideal starting center in today’s NBA but he does still bring something to the table. His defense is questionable, he’s slow and he’s recently been an often injured player. But he is very good in the paint, great rebounder and is now viewed as a veteran leader.
He’ll be taking that leadership and experience to the Indiana Pacers to mentor a young Myles Turner. He’ll add some depth to the Pacers already improved roster after the addition of Thaddeus Young.
Following from Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo! Sports.
Al Jefferson has agreed in principle to a three-year, $30M deal with Indiana, league source tells @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) July 1, 2016
Still unclear if the final year of Jefferson-Pacers deal will be fully guaranteed, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) July 1, 2016
Jefferson has averaged 16.7 points and 8.9 rebounds across his 12-year NBA career, which has included stops in Boston, Minnesota, Utah and the past three years in Charlotte.
