Throughout Kemba Walker’s career with the Charlotte Hornets franchise, it has mostly been one heartbreaking year after another. Though they are still fighting for a playoff spot this season, the best that the Hornets can look forward to in April is another first-round exit, this time at the hands of the league’s best team, the Milwaukee Bucks.
Walker will be coming off of a career-year, one which sees him currently averaging 25.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists with 1.3 steals a ballgame. As good as he has been, his talent is being wasted playing for a team that’s headed nowhere and whose future is murky at best.
Perhaps it’s time for Walker to listen to other offers this summer as he becomes an unrestricted free agent. He’s one of the most coveted free agents in the offseason and he owes it to himself to survey the playing field for what could be a career-defining decision.
But which teams are the best for him to sign with? Here are three teams that Kemba Walker should consider signing with rather than going back to the Hornets:
The New York Knicks are in rebuilding mode and are looking to fill practically every position on the court. One of the most important positions is the point guard spot which could be filled ably by any of a number of free agents next season. If Walker fancies bringing a storied franchise back to its glory days with another potential superstar, the Knicks would be a great choice.
Though Kyrie Irving is the most prominent point guard’s name being bandied about in Knicks rumors, Walker is expected to be in the mix as well.
If they can provide Walker with better teammates than the ones he had in Charlotte, more fans will see just how good he truly is. In all likelihood, if Ric Bucher’s report is to be believed, the Knicks will be the frontrunner to sign Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant.
Having Durant as a teammate will give Walker the most accomplished teammate he’s ever had. It all but guarantees that annual playoff contention is a given for the Knicks with these two on board. Of course, they still have to fill out the roster with good players who will complement them. Given that the current players on the roster aren’t exactly championship level material right now, Knicks management will have a lot of work ahead of them.
Then, there’s coach David Fizdale who is still an unproven commodity. Does Walker have the confidence that Fizdale can be a successful coach if provided with the right tools?
Had it not been for the uncertainty surrounding the Knicks franchise’s direction (and how Durant’s decision isn’t exactly written on stone), they would have ranked higher on this list.
If you can’t beat them, join them, right?
That’s exactly what Walker needs to do when it comes to his competitive relationship with LeBron James. Since he came into the league, the diminutive but very talented point guard has never beaten James no matter which team the 4-time MVP has played for. Rather than keep that streak going, it’s time for Walker to join forces with James in the Western Conference.
Besides, James is desperately in need of a point guard who can knock down open shots and will take over the ballhandling chores for him. It is essential for him to have a playmaker that he can trust with the offense yet will allow him to take over in crunch time. If Irving’s numbers in Cleveland when he played with LeBron is any indication, then Walker will have room to blossom alongside a superstar who’s more than willing to hand his second-in-command the driver’s seat when necessary.
If James wants a low maintenance fellow superstar to play with him, Walker would be perfect. Should the Lakers star woo him to play in L.A., the Hornets’ franchise player would be wise to seriously consider it.
Furthermore, one important factor going for Walker in this environment is the fact that with the Lakers, he’s not entering a situation in which he’ll be asked to just help carry a team to the playoffs (something he should be tired of by now), he’ll be gunning for a championship from the start. At the same time, he won’t have to take a pay cut to sign with this L.A. team as well since the Lakers will have the cap space to sign him outright.
If Walker wants to play for a coach who knows what it takes to win a championship, you can bet he will consider the Los Angeles Clippers. He better. Coach Doc Rivers knows how to win with the best point guards in the league after coaching Rajon Rondo and Chris Paul among others over the years. As a former point guard himself, Rivers knows the mindset of a playmaker and how one can be most successful in this league.
Rivers is doing one of the best jobs he’s ever done. Despite trading their two All-Stars (Paul to the Rockets and Blake Griffin to the Pistons) the past two seasons and their best player this season (Tobias Harris to the Sixers), the Clippers are heading to the playoffs with a team that plays like it still has all three. Though they will be facing one of the top three teams in the West in the playoffs, no one wants to face them. Walker would love to join a squad like this next season.
But there’s more reasons for him to want to play for L.A.’s “other” team.
According to ESPN’s latest NBA Future Power Rankings, the Clippers were ranked fifth in the management category which measures the “quality and stability of front office, ownership and coaching.” They have the cap flexibility to bring in more players and surround Walker with the necessary pieces to contend for a championship.
He’s already got a great backcourt mate but one who’s coming off the bench—Lou Williams. That’s a guard combo with the potential to be one of the best in the league for years to come.
They have the cap room to sign a max player and still have around $20 million left to keep building the roster. The Clippers don’t need to shake up the team. With Walker on board, he’ll be playing with a cast that’s built to win now: Williams, Danilo Gallinari, Montrezl Harrell, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Landry Shamet and Jerome Robinson. And remember, they still haven’t used that spare money with this roster, too.
Should the Clippers come calling to offer him the max salary, Walker shouldn’t hesitate to sign on the dotted line immediately.
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