Charlotte Hornets: 5 realistic point guards who could replace Kemba Walker in free agency
The Charlotte Hornets could be in need of a point guard, depending on how Kemba Walker’s free agency goes. Here are five options for them to target this summer.
Going into a free agency period where you could potentially lose your franchise star for nothing is scary, and the Charlotte Hornets are going to have to be prepared for all possible outcomes, including finding a replacement for Walker if he were to sign elsewhere.
Sure, the Hornets could just promote Devonte’ Graham to starting point guard, but they will have much better options in the free agent market. Once the big names are out of the way, you’ll see a lot of movement from the mid-tier free agents, and that’s where some potential candidates for the Hornets sit.
It’s hard to replace an All-Star player who averaged over 25 points per game, but like I said, it’s something that the Hornets must prepare for just in case. They won’t get nearly that much production from a potential free agent signing, but maybe it can help ease the pain a little bit.
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One thing that will be interesting to see is if the Hornets do lose Walker, do they go into a full rebuild or try to sign quality players and compete for a lower seed playoff spot again? Adding veterans while developing the young talent is certainly an option instead of just simply blowing up the roster and tanking the season, especially with the new NBA Draft Lottery rules.
It seems as if the Celtics are the most likely landing spot for Charlotte’s All-Star. Time will tell if the Hornets can improve their chances of re-signing him, but at this point, it’s not looking very good.
If the Hornets renounce all of their free agents, and use the stretch provision, they can create up to around $20 million in cap space. They could then use that money on a point guard in Free Agency.
Let’s dive in and take a look at our first point guard option. Keep in mind, this is not in any specific order.