The Charlotte Hornets have put their relationship with All-Star point guard Kemba Walker in muddy waters after the former found out that he was in the middle of trade conversations through the media.
ESPN Senior Insider Adrian Wojnarowski said the Hornets were making their franchise player available in a trade, along with any of the starters, who have by now very undesirable contracts to the rest of the league.
According to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer, Walker said he'd be “devastated” if he was traded, noting he's built a genuine rapport with his head coach Steve Clifford, who said he'd be shocked if his star point man wanted a move.
“He said he’d be devastated if the Hornets traded him, that he has a bond with his coach, Steve Clifford, that is special, that it would mean plenty to someday retire having played continuously for the team that drafted him in 2011. Rather than a cut-and-run strategy, he aspires to be part of the solution here.”
Walker was described by Bonnell as one of the most loyal individuals he's come across in his 30-plus years of covering the league, noting the head-scratching nature of what the Hornets are considering.
Putting his name on the line and not making it known, can be seen as a back-stabbing maneuver by the organization, but looking at their meager 18-26 record with all of that money in the starting lineup can create a lot of frustration for the front office. This savvy idea of dangling him to other teams has backfired in a major way, creating the perception that he is not wanted in this organization — one that could prove ultimately impossible to repair unless they're quick to make amends after the trade deadline passes.
Walker is in his seventh year in the league and developed into an All-Star-caliber point guard, but as Wojnarowski noted, he's being used as the potential sweetener in a deal mainly revolved on shedding bad contracts and pushing the reset button on an already-failed operation.
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