Could Kemba Walker’s nostalgia for participating in the NBA playoffs lead him to request a trade once the Charlotte Hornets hire a new general manager?
It seems we’re about to find out.
From the Charlotte Observer‘s Rick Bonnell:
The Hornets will soon hire a new general manager to replace the departed Rich Cho. If that next general manager’s intention is to oversee a long-term rebuild, it could affect Walker’s career plans.
“At this point, I want to win. I want to be in the playoffs,” Walker told the Observer on Monday morning. “I’m tired of not being in the playoffs. … I hate watching them on TV.
“I’ve been there twice in seven years, and it’s just not fun” missing out. . . .
“Whenever we get a new GM, we’ll see what direction he wants to go,” Walker said, “and I’ll make the best decision for me.”
Trading Walker at this past February’s deadline would have made the most sense for the Hornets. They would have been able to sell him as something more than a year-long rental. They won’t have that luxury this summer.
Shopping him still makes the most sense. Having his Bird rights will matter when he hits free agency in 2019, and while he won’t net the Hornets a deep well of first-round picks as an expiring contract, he should be enough of a buffer to get them out from under one of their many less-savory deals.
Indeed, that doesn’t sound too appetizing. Walker is a legitimate All-Star, in the thick of his prime. The Hornets own the net rating of a bona fide playoff team when he’s in the game, according to NBA.com. But with very few trade chips, no imminent cap space and no real incumbent upside beyond Malik Monk, it’s tough to imagine the Hornets making anything that resembles a leap over the next years. So unless they’re content to remain on a treadmill of mediocrity, while overpaying to do it, they should look to hit reset.
Besides, if they don’t make the tough decision, Walker himself might, be it through a trade demand or relocation in free agency.
