Kemba Walker has informed the Charlotte Hornets that he plans to sign with the Boston Celtics in free agency, according to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.
.@KembaWalker has conveyed to the @hornets he intends to sign with the Boston Celtics once free-agent contracts are allowed July 6, multiple sources say.
— Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) June 29, 2019
Shams Charania of The Athletic subsequently reported that Walker will sign a four-year, $141 million deal with the Celtics.
Rumors about the 29-year-old's interest in signing with Boston began swirling last week, when it became apparent he was no longer committed to staying in Charlotte. At the conclusion of the regular season, Walker indicated re-signing with the Hornets would be his priority in free agency, even going so far as to say he would return to the team for less than the five-year, $221 million supermax contract. According to The Observer, though, Charlotte's insistence on offering him no more than $170 million over five seasons left Walker deeming it best to sign with a competing team.
Walker enjoyed a career campaign in 2018-19, averaging 25.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game, all personal-bests – an especially impressive accomplishment considering just how little offensive support the Hornets provided him. He earned All-NBA honors for the first time as a result, making him eligible for the super-max.
Boston, after a supremely disappointing 2018-19 season, was always poised to undergo major changes this summer due to the likely departure of Kyrie Irving. The Celtics' state of transition reached a new level last week, though, when it was reported that Al Horford, long assumed to re-sign in Boston, was no longer considering returning and would instead sign elsewhere in free agency.
With Walker in the fold, expect Brad Stevens' team to be a surefire playoff team next season, perhaps fighting for home-court advantage in the Eastern Conference.
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