Hornets news: Kemba Walker says he 'can't see' himself in a Knicks jersey

Charlotte Hornets scoring guard Kemba Walker was the subject of numerous trade discussions this off-season as he was linked to the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks, but has since denied the speculation, saying he is very happy in Charlotte.

With superstar small forward LeBron James leaving the Cavaliers this summer, the potential for Walker to join the Cavs was erased, and as for the Knicks, the 28-year-old can’t see himself in a New York jersey either when speaking at Players Association’s kids camp at Pier 36.

“I’ve been hearing it for years now — the Knicks,” Walker said. “Every time I come home, it’s, ‘When are you coming home to the Knick?’ MSG is a special place, man. The Knicks are a special team. Of course, I’ve been a Knicks fan growing up, always rooted for the home team. But I really can’t see myself in a Knicks jersey — only because I’ve been in one jersey. I really don’t know.”

As of right now, the six-foot-one guard doesn’t “have a clue” what the future holds, and when asked how he feels about going back home to play for the Knicks, he smiled and said, “Got to see. We got to see. I’ve never been free, never been a free agent. We’ll see.

“I have no idea. I’ve never been a free agent. I don’t know how the process works. I will have options unless Charlotte gets something done.”

The dynamic scorer averaged 21.1 points per game, 5.6 assists per game and shot 38.4% from downtown last season for the Hornets, who missed out on the playoffs. Despite their absence from the postseason, Walker continued to raise his value, and with only one year left on his contract, it seemed like a very real and logical possibility the Hornets would say goodbye to their all-time leading scorer in the hopes of getting something valuable in return before he potentially signs with a larger market team for nothing.

Now, it looks like the franchise has rolled the dice and opted to keep their faith Walker, in the hopes he re-signs long term with the organisation. It won’t be easy to retain his services however, as back offices around the league are already circling and weighing up their options as he enters free agency next summer.