Buzz City Beat: Kemba Walker snubbed again, Should the Charlotte Hornets target Joe Johnson?
Buzz City Beat is Swarm and Sting’s one stop for the latest news and stories from around the web about the Charlotte Hornets.
Kemba Walker set a franchise record when he made nine three’s in a win over the Atlanta Hawks. (GiveMeSport.com) In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at if the Charlotte Hornets should target Joe Johnson, Kemba Walker being snubbed from the All-Star Game for the second time and Damien Wilkins rejoining the Greensboro Swarm.
Should Charlotte target Joe Johnson? (Twitter/ @TheSteinLine)
"Veteran scorer Joe Johnson is angling behind the scenes for a trade out of Utah, according to league sources. Will be interesting to see if he becomes a buyout candidate for contenders should no deal materialize before the Feb. 8 trade buzzer"
Although Johnson is 36-years old and in the later stages of his career, he could be a decent rental option for a playoff contending team for the remainder of the season. Potential suitors may be wary because Joe is averaging a career-low 7.3 points per game with the Jazz. Still, maybe a change of scenery is all he needs to be an effective playmaker and shot creator off of the bench.
Considering he wants out of Utah, Johnson could probably be had for next to nothing. If Charlotte wants to make a run at him before the trade deadline, an expiring contract (and maybe a future second-round pick or the right to swap second-round picks) should be enough to complete a deal. Or they could wait until after the trade deadline when he is bought out and fight other teams for his signature.
Kemba Walker snubbed from ASG, again! (Twitter/ @ShamsCharania)
"Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic has replaced Kevin Love in the 2018 NBA All-Star game."
For the third time this year, the Hornets’ point guard was snubbed from the All-Star Game. First, he wasn’t selected as a reserve. Then, Andre Drummond was picked over him as an injury replacement for John Wall. And now, Goran Dragic had a higher number of votes than Kemba did from the coaches to replace the injured Kevin Love.
The only argument for Dragic over Walker is their team’s record because Kemba has better than Goran in almost every statistical category this season. Walker is averaging 5.4 more points per game and 1.0 more assist per game while having similar shooting stats to Dragic. The only difference is Miami being 29-22 and Charlotte being 21-29. It looks like a lot of emphases was put on having a winning record this year rather than the actual stats.
Greensboro Swarm add Damien Wilkins (Gleague.NBA.com)
"The Greensboro Swarm, the NBA G League affiliate of the Charlotte Hornets, announced today the addition of guard Damien Wilkins as a returning rights player. Wilkins, who began this season as a member of the Indiana Pacers, returns to Greensboro after appearing in 48 games with the Swarm in 2016-17."
Next: Rumor: Bucks interested in trading for Monk
Wilkins earned a spot with Indiana after his performance with the Swarm last season. The 38-year old averaged 14.8 points per game, 5.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.0 steals in 2016-17 with Greensboro. Once he was waived by the Pacers, the Hornets’ G-League affiliate was a likely landing spot considering how poorly they’ve played this year. Damien will add a veteran presence to the team and maybe help them win a few more games.