The struggling Charlotte Hornets have reportedly announced that franchise cornerstone Kemba Walker is on the trade market. Sources close to ESPN say that several teams have inquired for the guard's services.
The New York Knicks are one of the frontrunners in acquiring Walker since it is the hometown team of the All-Star guard. The Dallas Mavericks, a struggling team out west, has also been linked with Walker.
There is a possibility that the Hornets front office will ask for several picks and a promising player in return for Walker to jumpstart a rebuild. In addition, the organization wants to shed one of the many big contracts of its other players.
While Walker is on a team-friendly deal, the rest of the Hornets' core players are not. Hornets centers Dwight Howard and Cody Zeller are slated to earn a combined $37.3 million alone next season.
On the other hand, forward Marvin Williams, swingman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and French guard Nicolas Batum will earn $51 million through the 2018–19 season. All six players combine for $88.3 million, with none being named an All-Star.
This requirement of shedding salaries (most especially Batum's $24 million due next season) is reportedly the reason why talks with several teams like the Knicks have stalled.
According to Ian Begley, Knicks reporter from ESPN, the Hornets would like to engage in trade discussions for Walker. However, the two teams did not have any "substantive" discussions due to the Hornets' proposed salary dump.
French rookie guard Frank Ntilikina of the Knicks could potentially be the centerpiece of their offer to Charlotte. However, the Knicks are also tied to big contracts such as those with Tim Hardaway Jr. ($17.3 million), Enes Kanter ($18.6 million), and Joakim Noah ($18.5 million), making the deal hard to execute.
Walker, who is slated to earn $12 million through the final year of his contract (2018–19), will become an unrestricted free agent after next season, giving the front office a sense of urgency. However, Walker has been vocal about his plans to stay in Charlotte.
"I'd be pretty upset, but like I said, I'm here and now and I've put my heart and soul into this team and into this city, so that's what I'm going to do till everything's over," said Walker to media reporters after a team practice.
