Some within the Hornets‘ organization feel that Kemba Walker may be as meaningful to the franchise as Stephen Curry is to the Warriors in terms of relative importance and cultural influence, Zach Lowe of ESPN.com writes in his latest piece. The 28-year-old point guard enjoys his role in elevating the franchise.
“These guys believed in me,” Walker said. “I couldn’t care less about big markets. That’s not who I am. I want to make this place big. I want to be in the playoffs every year. I want to make Charlotte pop.”
Walker is in the final year of one of the league’s most team-friendly contracts, one that pays him $12MM per season. However, the deal didn’t always seem like such as bargain, as Lowe details.
Walker was navigating his way through his rookie deal and his shooting numbers—which were a red flag of his during pre-draft workout—weren’t improving. When he was up for a rookie-scale extension, Charlotte’s offer topped out at $10MM annually, per Lowe, and Walker wanted his agent Jeff Schwartz to accept it, threatening to call the team and make the deal himself if he didn’t.
The Hornets eventually budged, going to the $12MM annual value, and over the ensuing years, Walker has made critical adjustments to his game to set him up for a much bigger payday once that deal expires.
If Walker makes an All-NBA team this year, the Hornets will be able offer him a designated veteran contract, starting at 35% of next year’s salary cap (roughly $220MM over five years). If he doesn’t, Charlotte can still offer a five-year deal worth approximately $189MM. Lowe speculates that the Hornets could find common ground on a five-year deal in the $163MM range since no rival team could offer him more than a four-year pact.
Can see Walker taking a lot less in hope another big name comes his way, which I can see happening. Well done Kemba
Kemba will probably be screwed out of an All NBA Team. If he keeps up his current numbers all year, he absolutely should be All NBA
Charlotte will never “pop” with him there making max money..
Damian Lillard part 2.
He will be trapped on that Charlotte team that be a constant mediocre team that won’t win a title .
Seems like a good kid
I believe in Kemba’s sudden love for Charlotte when they’re no longer the only team that might be able to offer up that 220 mm over 5 years. It’s good business when your under contract in any event. Charlotte played hardball on his last contract, and they have entertained trades the last couple of years as he’s outplayed his contract. Pretty sure that Charlotte (at least the owner) doesn’t believe he’s a max, let alone a super max, player. But he may have the leverage to make Charlotte pay him like he is. He’s having a career year at the right time. If they offer less than they can, I still think there’s a good chance he’ll bolt for an equivalent offer elsewhere.
Yep, he’s gonna love them a lot until he gets that deal, then a year later he’ll be demanding a trade so he can win.
Anybody who thinks he don’t deserve max is crazy his number have went up every year
Imagine if this team didn’t have not one, not two, not three, not four, but FIVE bad contracts. This roster has been horribly mismanaged and poorly drafted. Here’s to hoping 2020-21 is better once those deals are off the books.
If they can swap Batum for Hill that would be a big plus. May cost Monk or Bridges as well tho. So its Hill plus X ti match money.
Good on Kemba, anyway he can hardly find a nicer state to live on than NC, so that is a plus, also he is the biggest legend ever in the franchise so staying is a win win for him, just needs the owner & FO to finally learn a bit about the game, so they start building a decent team around him, so he can be a playoff guy every year, winning a ring, most of the great players never do, at least in their primes, they go ring chasing in their later years, so is not a must do, Barkley, Malone, Stockton, AI, Payton, Ewing, Mourning, Wilkins, Chambers, Garnett… & I could go on & on.
So my advice stay put kid, they love you there, you live in a great place, you & family are happy, why on earth would you move, what difference can make like 20MM more or less. Money can’t buy happiness.
Here’s to Walker, Lillard and guys like them. North Carolina, Oregon? You could live in worse places.
As someone who lives in NC, I disagree
You can leave if you don’t enjoy it tho
when home games don’t sell out or opposing fans pack half the house
He’s making it look hard for fans to accept MJ not giving him max.