Since the 2018 NBA offseason started, rumors and speculations started to swirl that the Charlotte Hornets will be parting ways with their star point guard Kemba Walker. The 28-year-old superstar will be entering the final year of his contract and is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. If the Hornets will not get a commitment that he intends to stay beyond the 2018-19 NBA season, trading him now will be their best option than losing him in free agency without getting anything in return.
When the Hornets hired Mitch Kupchak as general manager, speculations heated up that Charlotte will trade Kemba Walker and undergo a full-scale rebuild. However, Kupchak denied the rumors and said that they still see Walker as the centerpiece of the title-contending team they are planning to build. In a recent interview with Don Amore of the Hartford Courant , the All-Star point guard shared the same sentiment, increasing the possibility that he will be re-signing with the Hornets in 2019 NBA free agency.
“I just want to do something special in Charlotte,” Walker said. “I’ve been there eight years now, and we haven’t really been consistent as far as winning. I just want to try to establish that culture at some point. That’s what I want to do, I just want to make it a winning organization.”
Kemba Walker wants to win in Charlotte; “can’t see myself in a Knicks jersey”, per @AmoreCourant https://t.co/9VwsrR4eUH pic.twitter.com/Rk1cx40BPv
— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) August 17, 2018
Since joining the NBA in 2011, Kemba Walker has managed to live up to expectations from a ninth overall pick. In his seven years of playing with the Hornets, Walker established an impressive performance on both ends of the floor, averaging 18.9 points, 5.4 assists, and 1.3 steals on 41.5 percent shooting from the field and 35.8 percent from beyond the arc. Unfortunately, those numbers were not enough to help the Hornets advance to the second round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs.
Walker admitted that the Hornets have failed to become consistent when it comes to winning, but he strongly believes that he can still do something for special for the team. As of now, Walker doesn’t see himself playing for a different team, even for his hometown team, the New York Knicks.
“I know it’s a special place, I was a Knicks fan growing up, always rooted for the home team. But I just can’t see myself in a Knicks jersey, only because I’ve only been in one jersey.”
Hornets fans definitely love hearing Kemba Walker expressing his desire to stay in Charlotte. However, lots of things can happen between now and the 2019 NBA free agency. The Hornets’ performance in the 2018-19 NBA season is expected to play a major role in Walker’s decision in the summer of 2019. If they manage to make a huge impact in the LeBron James-less Eastern Conference, it’s highly likely that Walker will stay. However, if they suffer another disappointment, rumors about Walker’s departure could start to circulate once again.
