Welcome to Buzz City Beat, a daily roundup of the best articles from around the internet surrounding the Charlotte Hornets.
Zach Lowe reported that the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Charlotte Hornets have “talked at least vaguely” about a potential trade involving Kemba Walker, Isaiah Thomas and the Brooklyn Nets‘ first-round pick. (ESPN) In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at where Charlotte sits in the Week 16 NBA power rankings, why Kemba Walker is unlikely to be traded this season and why the Hornets should be sellers this year.
Hornets rise in Week 16 power rankings (USAtoday.com)
"The Hornets shot 50.6% from the field and 42.3% from beyond the arc on Monday against Denver and lost. By 17 points."
Charlotte moved up one spot from No. 21 in Week 15 to No. 20 this week. Despite going 3-1 this past week, the Hornets only managed to climb one spot. They picked up wins of the Atlanta Hawks, the Indiana Pacers and the Phoenix Suns but dropped a game to the Indiana Pacers away from home.
The Houston Rockets claimed the top spot this week while the Golden State Warriors (2), the Boston Celtics (3), the Toronto Raptors (4) and the Minnesota Timberwolves (5) rounded out the top five. LeBron James and the Cavs free fall continues as they dropped all the way to No. 9. The Charlotte Hornets will likely need another 3-1 week to get inside the top-20.
Kemba Walker trade remains unlikely (Twitter/ @Schultz_Report)
"A Kemba Walker trade remains highly unlikely. #Hornets not only want an All-Star in return, but also want to dump Batum’s contract. Huge ask"
This has always been the case for a potential Kemba trade and remains to be true going forward. In this market, it’s highly unlikely that a team would be willing to give up not only an all-star but also take on a bad contract like Nicolas Batum who is owed $76.6 million over the next three seasons. While many teams are interested in trading for Walker, the asking price is just too high for most to meet.
Maybe someone like the Cleveland Cavaliers will get desperate and offer up more but at this point, a trade involving Kemba before the February 8th trade deadline seems like it won’t get done. On a recent podcast with Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype, Michael Scotto of The Athletic also said that a Walker trade isn’t likely. Scotto also mentioned that a Kemba or Dwight Howard trade is more likely to happen this summer if it does happen. (HoopsHype.com)
Why Charlotte should sell at the trade deadline (BleacherReport.com)
"The Hornets might be better than their record reflects, but their record also reflects that they’re nowhere good enough to contend this year or probably next. They’re going to have to get worse to get better, and Walker is the best asset to acquire something for the future. If they can get two first-round picks for him, they should go for it."
Next: My visit to the Spectrum Center and experience with Kemba
While I think the Hornets will be buyers this trade deadline, there is a strong case to be made that they should sell and try to start a rebuild. Two first-round picks in this market is a tough ask but if Charlotte could get it, that’s a pretty good return for Kemba. Although, for that to happen, it would have to be a stand-alone trade and the Hornets wouldn’t be able to package a bad contract with Walker. Whether or not this team buys or sells at the trade deadline will tell us a lot about the direction of their future.