Charlotte Hornets point guard Kemba Walker is expected to be one of the most coveted superstars in the 2019 NBA free agency. Before the start of the 2018-19 NBA season, the 28-year-old All-Star point guard has already expressed his desire to re-sign with the Hornets, but Walker recently has a change of heart after they failed to enter the Eastern Conference Playoffs for the third straight year. As much as he desires to create something special in Charlotte, Walker also wants to spend his prime years playing for a team that can at least reach the postseason.
The Hornets are expected to do everything they can to bring Kemba Walker back in the summer of 2019, but the All-Star point guard will likely entertain offers from other NBA teams. In his recent article, Frank Urbina of HoopsHype created a list of potential destinations for Walker in the 2019 NBA offseason. One of the NBA teams who could go after Walker in free agency is the Indiana Pacers.
Despite losing Victor Oladipo to a season-ending injury, the Pacers still managed to finish the 2018-19 NBA season as the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference and as of now, they are battling in the first round of the NBA Playoffs 2019 against the Boston Celtics. However, even with a healthy Oladipo on their roster, the Pacers aren’t considered one of the biggest threats in the league.
The acquisition of Kemba Walker will not make the Pacers an instant title contender, but he could make them a team to fear in the Eastern Conference in the 2019-20 NBA season. As Urbina noted, Walker could form the Pacers’ “fearsome foursome” with Victor Oladipo, Myles Turner, and Domantas Sabonis in Indiana next summer.
“With a returning Victor Oladipo, as well as big men Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner, Walker would give the Pacers a fearsome foursome, capable of battling for one of the top spots in the East. And just like with the Dallas hypothetical, Walker may welcome the opportunity to share the floor with a fellow All-Star ball-handler in order to reduce his nightly workload. This pairing would come out of left field, but Walker-to-Indiana makes a lot more sense the more you think about it.”
Thursday @KembaWalker made it clear that winning, not just money, would be huge in his free-agency decision. That sets up a “show-me” challenge for the @hornets if they intend to avoid losing their all-time scorer: COLUMN: https://t.co/fVgu9k596z
— Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) April 11, 2019
Kemba Walker will be a great addition to the Hornets, giving them an All-Star caliber point guard who can ease the load on Victor Oladipo’s shoulders on the offensive end of the floor. In 82 games he played this season, Walker averaged 25.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.2 steals on 43.4 percent shooting from the field and 35.6 percent shooting from beyond the arc. As of now, it remains unknown if there is a mutual interest between Walker and the Pacers in the upcoming free agency, but the creation of Indiana’s “fearsome foursome” will undeniably add more thrill and excitement to the 2019-20 NBA season.
