Charlotte Hornets: Kemba Walker to All-NBA Third Team, eligible for supermax
Charlotte Hornets star point guard Kemba Walker was named to the All-NBA Third Team this afternoon, making him eligible for a supermax contract extension this summer.
The Charlotte Hornets upcoming off-season just got a little bit more interesting. After a career-year, Kemba Walker has been named to the All-NBA Third Team, which means he is now elibile for a five-year, $221 million contract extension this summer.
During the 2018-19 season, Walker averaged 25.6 points, 5.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds for the Hornets. He was named an All-Star starter, and really cemented his status as an elite point guard in this league.
Joining Walker on the All-NBA Third Team is Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles’ LeBron James, Detroit’s Blake Griffin and Utah’s Rudy Gobert. Man, that’s quite a stacked roster, huh?
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So, why does Walker making the All-NBA Third Team complicate things even more for the Hornets? Well, regardless if Walker re-signs or not, they’re in a tough spot. If they keep him, they’ll be giving a 29 year old nearly $40 million per season, which is not ideal and hurts the team even more financially.
If Walker leaves, and walks away from the extra $80 million that the Hornets can offer, then they’ll have to reset and start from scratch, which is never easy. It may be the right thing to do, but Walker has given his heart to the city, and moving on from the best player in franchise history is going to be heartbreaking for many.
So, the Hornets can offer Walker that supermax deal (five-year, $221 million), or offer him a five-year, $190 million deal, while a team with cap space can offer him a four-year, $141 million deal. This is likely his last big payday, so it’s an important decision for Walker.
Charlotte has the upper hand considering they can offer him a lot more money compared to other teams, but I’m still trying to decide if that’s a good thing or not. General Manager Mitch Kupchak has a lot of things to consider.
It’s going to be interesting to see what Walker prioritizes in free agency. Charlotte can offer the most money, but he wouldn’t be in a winning situation. Playoff teams like Utah and Indiana will be after him, as well as big market teams like Los Angeles (Lakers) and New York.
Next. Off-Season Option: Embrace the mediocrity. dark
This will be a critical off-season for the Charlotte Hornets, and a potential franchise changing off-season. Free agency opens on July 1st, and we will likely know about Kemba’s decision a few days after that.