Charlotte Hornets: 4 reasons why Kemba Walker leaving worked out great
By Jason Huber
Not even two years removed from bolting the Charlotte Hornets to sign a four-year, $140 million contract with the Boston Celtics in free agency, point guard Kemba Walker is already reportedly ready for a breakup with the Celtics after the team tried to trade him last offseason.
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At the time, losing Walker was a devastating blow for Charlotte. He is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, was coming off an All-NBA Third Team selection, and was the face of the organization.
It was a frustrating situation all-around. The Hornets could have offered Walker a max contract which would’ve been an extra year and $80 million more than what the Celtics signed him for. It was reported at the time that Charlotte actually low-balled Walker, offering him less than $160 million for five years.
It seemed like it would take years for the Hornets to recover from the loss of Walker but instead, two years later, Charlotte is coming off a play-in berth and looks to have a young, solid foundation that can be built upon for years to come if the right moves continue to be made.
Meanwhile, the Celtics still owe Walker, who just turned 31, almost $74 million over the next two years, assuming he picks up his player option after next season.
The Hornets didn’t come away completely empty-handed from his free-agency departure, however. Here are four reasons why Walker leaving ended up working out great for Charlotte.