Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan is reportedly “hellbent” on keeping his All-Star point guard Kemba Walker as the team's cornerstone player, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Walker is coming off a career-high and NBA-best 60-point game in a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, further cementing his place as the team's franchise player.
“Teams that are inquiring on Kemba Walker over the summer have gotten the sense that the Hornets still wanna build their franchise and make Kemba Walker the face of their franchise. Michael Jordan is full focused, and hellbent, really — to re-sign Kemba Walker and keep him as his franchise player.”
“As long as they remain competitive, teams around the league are very skeptical and really expect the Hornets to retain Kemba Walker. Kemba Walker wants to be in Charlotte.”
Our NBA Insider @ShamsCharania reports on 60-point man Kemba Walker and where his future stands in Charlotte. pic.twitter.com/4Rona232TO
— Stadium (@Stadium) November 19, 2018
This comes as a sigh of relief for many questioning Walker's potential departure in the offseason — boasting one of the friendliest contracts for an All-Star player, as he plays out the last of a four-year, $48 million deal that is cut in equal parts.
Walker has remained unequivocally committed to playing with the Hornets, but the franchise will have to make some moves in the offseason and maybe even this season to free up enough cap space to reward him with a max deal.
The 6-foot-1 Bronx native is only making $12 million this season and will expect a massive raise once this offseason comes around, especially if he can catapult this team into playoff contention.
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