First Take suggests Charlotte Hornets trade Kemba to LA

During an episode of the always entertaining First Take, Max Kellerman suggested that the Charlotte Hornets trade Kemba Walker to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Hornets have gained some national attention as of late, thanks to the sensational scoring spree that Kemba has been on. Over the past two games, Kemba has scored a total of 103 points.

With all of the attention Charlotte is getting right now, it’s not surprising that folks around the world are once again begging for Walker to get out of Charlotte and play for a winning team. Max Kellerman, a co-host for ESPN’s First Take, came up with the idea of trading Kemba Walker to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram.

Stephen A. Smith, a fellow co-host for First Take, was not on board with the deal, saying that the Hornets would absolutely say no to that trade.

Both Ball and Ingram are two very talented players, and they’d bring some big time upside to the Hornets. Ball is averaging 7.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists, while Ingram is averaging 15.2 points and 4.5 rebounds.

Like Max said, both players would also give the Hornets some serious length on the defensive end, something that Kemba doesn’t exactly offer. If Kemba showed any desire to be traded, then Ball and Ingram would be good players to target. However, Walker has stated numerous times that he wants to remain in Charlotte with the Hornets.

Also, Ball and Ingram both had massive expectations coming out of college, and while they have both performed pretty well at the NBA level and are good players, many people expected them to be better by now. It would be a risk trading a player like Kemba Walker for guys who could become stars.

Kemba Walker is exactly what the Los Angeles Lakers are looking for. In order for them to truly compete with the best in the Western Conference, they’re going to need to pair another star with LeBron James. Kemba would give them another creator that can play on and off the ball and take some pressure off of LeBron.

Regardless, it’s not the worst trade package Charlotte could get for Walker, but it’s definitely not the best, either.

Trade rumors are going to heat up as we get further and further into the season. Plenty of teams will have an eye of Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Hornets.

Remember, Kemba Walker will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, which means he can sign anywhere. He’s been a member of the Charlotte Hornets for his entire career thus far, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.