NBA Rumors: Kemba Walker, Tony Parker Hint At Plan To Leave Charlotte Hornets In 2019 Free Agency
Charlotte Hornets superstar Kemba Walker has played the best season in his NBA career, averaging 25.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.2 steals on 43.4 percent shooting from the field and 35.6 percent shooting from beyond the arc. However, despite his outstanding performance in the 2018-19 NBA season, the Hornets are still unable to earn a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Before the season started, Kemba Walker addressed the rumors surrounding his upcoming free agency, saying that he “wanted to create something” in Charlotte. However, after failing to reach the postseason for the third straight year, the 28-year-old point guard is no longer giving a 100 percent assurance that he will re-sign with the Hornets when free agency hits next July.
“I have no feeling right now, I don’t know,” Walker said about his impending free agency, via ESPN. “Honestly, I don’t know what to expect. I guess it’s a lot of different emotions bottled up into one. I’m not sure. I don’t know.”
With his current performance, Kemba Walker has a strong chance of being named to one of the All-NBA teams which will make him eligible to earn a bigger contract in the 2019 NBA offseason. However, as ESPN noted, Walker is aware that if he signs a max deal with the Hornets, they would have limited power to surround him with quality players next summer. Even if Walker doubles his effort on both ends of the floor, the Hornets’ roster, as currently constructed, is not in a position to contend for the NBA championship title.
The Hornets can offer Kemba up to $221 million this summer. https://t.co/Dt2V2X4ni9
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 11, 2019
Kemba Walker is still not closing his doors to the Hornets, but before he makes a decision in free agency, he first wants to hear if they have a specific plan that could help them become a more competitive team in the 2019-20 NBA season.
“I mean, obviously I do want to be competitive because I want to be able to play in the playoffs,” Walker said. “So I want to think that would have some influence on my decision.”
Aside from Kemba Walker, another Hornet who is unsure about his future in Charlotte is Tony Parker. The 36-year-old point guard admitted that he remains undecided where he will play next season or not. If he decides to return for a 19th NBA season, Parker said that he wants to play for a team that can at least compete in the postseason.
“I don’t want to play on a rebuilding team,” Parker said. “I want to play for a team that’s fighting to make the playoffs at least.”
