Big Al was traded a week after that draft, he was already on his way out long before that, because Taylor didn't want to pay his salary. The only centers on the roster at that time were Darko, Hollins and Jawai, none of which were even rotation material. So the center position was definitely a need
I don't think it had anything to do with his salary. Kahn chose Darko (and Love) over Jefferson, and we had also just signed Pek.