In eight NBA seasons, three-time All-Star Kemba Walker has played just 11 total playoff games, and has never made it out of the first round. With the Hornets unable to lure major free agents to Charlotte or effectively build through the draft, Walker is set to leave and join a major Eastern Conference contender when free agency opens on Sunday, according to multiple reports.
News broke Saturday that Walker is expected to sign a four-year max contract worth $141 million with the Boston Celtics. After making the All-NBA third team in 2019, Walker was eligible to sign a five-year supermax deal worth $221 million – but likely would have been stuck on a mediocre team.
Walker may be giving up a significant amount of money by leaving, but he’ll be joining a playoff-tested team with talented young players. It’s not clear, however, whether a five-year supermax was even on the table for Walker, as the Hornets would have incurred a hefty luxury tax bill by maxing him out.
There were constant trade rumors involving Walker earlier this year, but it was reported in January that owner Michael Jordan was refusing trade offers for Walker – a sign that the team intended to commit to Walker financially. Earlier this month, Walker said that he would be willing to sign a deal worth less than the supermax to help the Hornets build a team. Instead, the Hornets have lost their lone star for nothing, and many fans and analysts are questioning the team’s strategy.
