Getty Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker
The Charlotte Hornets have gotten off to a start in the 2018-19 NBA season that very few general NBA fans expected. They currently sit at 7-8 on the year, just behind the Orlando Magic (9-8) for the top spot in the division. A large reason for that success has been the play of All-Star guard Kemba Walker, who was the topic of rumored trade discussions this offseason.
But it seems the Hornets not only wanted to keep Walker then, but they want him as the face of their franchise for the long haul. As Stadium’s Shams Charania revealed recently, Hornets owner Michael Jordan is “hellbent” on re-signing Walker to a new deal.
Our NBA Insider @ShamsCharania reports on 60-point man Kemba Walker and where his future stands in Charlotte.
“The Hornets for now, still want to build their franchise and make Kemba Walker the face of the franchise. Michael Jordan is fully focused and hellbent, really, too re-sign Kemba Walker and keep him as his franchise player, as his franchise star. As long as they remain competitive, and they have been.” Charania stated.
Kemba Walker’s Red-Hot Start to Season
As things stand, Walker sits No. 2 in the NBA scoring at 28.7 points per game, just slightly behind LeBron James (28.8). He’s fresh off a league-high and franchise-record 60-point performance against the Philadelphia 76ers over the weekend and has been simply exceptional this season.
Walker is not only scoring at a high clip but doing it efficiently, as he’s shot 45.8 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from beyond the arc. Both of those numbers are even more impressive when considering the Hornets star averages 21.4 field goals and 10.3 attempts from 3-point range per game.
With Walker set to become a free agent after this season, the Hornets have to make a move in the near future if they want to hold onto the 28-year-old. If he does wind up hitting the open market, there’s no question he’ll be in high demand.
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