Charlotte Hornets point guard Kemba Walker is eligible for a supermax extension after getting selected to the All-NBA Third Team for the 2018-19 season. Whether or not the former No. 9 overall pick will be returning to Charlotte is still up for debate, but at least general manager Mitch Kupchak has a financial figure to wrap his head around:
It's third-team All-NBA honors for Kemba Walker. That means he's eligible for the supermax contract, which in his case is five years, $221 million. Equates to a salary of $38.2 million per season. Now GM Mitch Kupchak has the financial parameters he must work with.
— Rod Boone (@rodboone) May 23, 2019
As mentioned in the above tweet, Walker will be eligible for a five-year, $221 million deal. There will certainly be other teams interested in his services, but the Hornets will likely look to hold on to their star player.
Walker, now 29 years of age, is coming off a great season. The three-time All-Star played in all 82 games, racking up averages of 25.6 points on 43.4 percent shooting from the field (35.6 percent from beyond the arc), 5.9 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 34.9 minutes per outing.
According to a report from Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, the Dallas Mavericks are the biggest threat to lure Walker away:
Threats to sign Kemba Walker away from the Charlotte Hornets this summer? Place this team at the top of your list: The Dallas Mavericks. Two sources with knowledge of the Mavericks’ thinking expect Walker, the Hornets’ three-time All-Star point guard, to be that team’s top target when NBA free-agency begins July 1. Although the Mavericks are only 27-39 this season – second-worst record in the Western Conference – they will have both the salary-cap flexibility to offer a free agent a maximum contract this summer and an appealing future to pitch with abundant young talent on the roster.
Other teams interested in Walker include the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers. In his own words earlier this season, though, it sounded like Walker likes his situation in Charlotte:
“I love it,” Walker told Bleacher Report in January, referring to the city of Charlotte. “I love it. It’s perfect for me. The pace of the city is pretty slow, which I love. It’s not fast-paced like New York. I’m able to just live pretty much a normal life. I’m able to go out and eat and not really be bothered. Go to the mall and walk around, not really be bothered. That’s what I like, personally. That’s the kind of life I like to live.”
For now, Hornets fans will have to wait to learn where Walker will be playing next season. Some reports indicate he would be open to the idea of re-signing, while others hint that he is ready to leave.
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