The Charlotte Hornets have been clear in their intent to keep point guard Kemba Walker as the cornerstone of the franchise, but that hasn't kept teams from inquiring about him. According to a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Dallas Mavericks inquired about him in the past, but the Hornets showed no inclination in moving their star floor general.
“In recent weeks, the Dallas Mavericks had interest in Walker and inquired on him, but the Hornets stated they were keeping Walker and wanted him to remain a Hornet,” wrote Charania.
The Hornets have had Walker on one of the NBA's best bargains — a four-year, $48 million contract. The Bronx native is now in the last year of that deal and bound for a max-level deal as an unrestricted free agent.
Both sides have shown their willingness to get a deal done, even earlier on, but what catches the eye is how the Mavs probed a potential trade while having Dennis Smith Jr. on the roster.
The trade inquiry could have been part of that two-week period in which Dallas tested the waters with Smith on the trade block, only to get meager offers for his services.
The Mavericks are reportedly still considering shopping Smith, but would likely wait until the offseason and allow him to build up value through the second year of his career, hoping a less time-pressing scenario would shift leverage to their side.
As for Walker, it would likely take a mega-offer to pry him out of owner Michael Jordan's hands, as he and his front office have been unequivocally committed to make Charlotte his home for the long-term.
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