The San Antonio Spurs entered the 2018-19 NBA season without a legitimate starting point guard on their roster. After parting ways with Tony Parker in the recent free agency, the Spurs lost their point guard of the future, Dejounte Murray, in an injury during the preseason. Despite having a massive hole at the point guard position, the Spurs still remain competitive, sitting in the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference with a 7-4 record.
However, if they are serious about contending for the NBA championship title this season, the Spurs should consider addressing the issues on their roster before the real battle begins in the Western Conference Playoffs. One of the NBA players the Spurs could target before the February NBA trade deadline is Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Hornets.
In a proposed trade deal by Adam Fromal of Bleacher Report , the Spurs will be sending Davis Bertans, Pau Gasol, Derrick White, a 2019 protected first-round pick, and a 2020 second-round pick to the Hornets for Kemba Walker and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Since Bertans just signed a new contract in the recent free agency, both teams will be needing to wait until mid-January to include him in the deal.
“Adding an All-Star point guard alongside DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge would make them an intriguing dark horse in the NBA’s tougher half. Parting with White, another intriguing prospect in Davis Bertans, Pau Gasol (as salary filler) and a lottery-protected first-rounder might be painful. But the Walker addition, especially with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist also involved as a defensive ace ready to break free under the supervision of head coach Gregg Popovich, would virtually guarantee the extension of the franchise’s interminable playoff streak.”
“His teammates rarely set him up. Sometimes they don’t even screen all that well for him. He’s Tom Hanks. They’re all named Wilson. You get the idea.”
Kemba Walker is a rock; he is an island (by @Bryan_S_Harvey ) https://t.co/LJnckp4lu0
— The Step Back (@The_Step_Back) November 12, 2018
Kemba Walker will undeniably be an incredible addition to the Spurs. Walker’s potential acquisition will not only immediately address the Spurs’ major problem at the point guard position, but he will also give them a very reliable scoring option next to DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge. This season, Walker is currently averaging 27.9 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.3 rebounds on 45.8 percent shooting from the field and 38.3 percent from beyond the arc.
DeMar DeRozan won’t have a hard time sharing the backcourt with Kemba Walker since he spent the past years playing alongside Kyle Lowry in the Toronto Raptors. The “Big Three” of DeRozan, Aldridge, and Walker will give the Spurs a strong chance of challenging the reigning NBA champions, Golden State Warriors, for the Western Conference supremacy.
Unfortunately, as of now, the Hornets made it clear that they have no intention of moving Kemba Walker before the February NBA trade deadline. However, as Fromal noted, the Hornets could change their mind once they fail to become consistent and find themselves out of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference.
