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The rumors surrounding Charlotte Hornets point guard Kemba Walker are still very much in play, and while the All-Star floor general wasn't involved in the recent trade his franchise made, reports say owner Michael Jordan is looking for another All-Star in return, looking to package backcourt mate Nicolas Batum in any deal, per Jordan Schultz of Yahoo! Sports.
As it's been reported before, the Hornets are listening to offers, and Walker's name is often the first to pop up in any conversation, and while Jordan and the front office have to consider the best path for the team moving forward, they'll likely put quite the expensive tag on their young point man for any team looking to acquire him.
Charlotte has been rumored to be looking to shed all the oversized contracts they've piled up over the years, dangling pretty much the entire starting lineup with names like Dwight Howard and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist high on the list.
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The Hornets will be receptive to listening to offers, but it will take an offer too hard to turn down to move Walker before tomorrow's trade deadline, given that if he's traded, the team will have to shift directions as their centerpiece would be gone.
Batum benefitted from a favorable offseason, netting a whopping five-year, $120 million deal in 2016, which goes all the way into the 2021-22 season. His numbers, a mere 12.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game can't justify the $24 million annual tab that Jordan is paying to keep him on the floor.
His injuries, packaged with the decline in performance over the years, make him one of the strongest candidates to be traded — though it remains to be seen if any team will bite.
