The Charlotte Hornets reportedly offered All-Star point guard Kemba Walker a five-year deal worth around $160 million, which is well shy of the supermax deal the franchise can pay him, according to Stephen A. Smith of ESPN.
Walker has reportedly informed the Hornets he will not be coming back. All signs point toward Kemba joining the Boston Celtics, who are expected to lose Kyrie Irving to the Brooklyn Nets.
Per @stephenasmith, the #Hornets offered Kemba Walker 5 years and around $160 million, which is well shy of the supermax option, and he informed Charlotte he won’t be returning. #Celtics expected to sign the 3-time All-Star. pic.twitter.com/60BACPmUE6
— Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) June 27, 2019
The supermax contract the Hornets can offer Walker would have paid the three-time All-Star around $221 million over five seasons. It looks like Charlotte doesn't want to commit that much money to a guy who has undergone knee surgeries and will be in his 30s by the time the deal ends.
This past season, Walker averaged 25.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.9 assists while shooting 43.4 percent from the field, 35.6 percent from beyond the arc and 84.4 percent from the free-throw line. The Hornets missed the playoffs. Walker has only been to the postseason twice since getting drafted by Charlotte back in 2011.
The Hornets failed Kemba Walker. They never put enough talent around him. If Walker is indeed joining the Celtics, he'll be paired with Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, the three best teammates Walker has ever had in his NBA career.
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