Tired of hovering below the postseason crust of the Eastern Conference, the Hornets are reportedly considering hitting the reset button on their roster.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Charlotte has warmed to the idea of parting with franchise guard Kemba Walker in hopes of offloading undesirable salaries and acquiring young/future talent.
Charlotte has been encouraging teams to make offers and appears eager to discuss attaching Walker to a larger trade in which another team would take on one of the Hornets’ several less desirable contracts, sources said.
Walker has been the lone success in a long line of lottery picks for the Hornets, who have made the playoffs just three times over the last 13 years. The former University of Connecticut standout is the only player Charlotte has drafted to make an All-Star team since Baron Davis (2002) despite the franchise having 12 top-14 picks since 2004.
Walker has played his entire career with the Hornets since being drafted ninth overall in 2011 and is averaging 21.7 points, 5.8 assists and 1.2 steals per contest this season. Charlotte, however, is just 18-25 after its supporting cast has struggled to stay healthy and/or provide enough production around the team’s lone All-Star.
When asked about the report on Friday, the seventh-year guard brushed aside any concerns about potentially being traded.
“I’ve been here for the last seven years,” Walker said. “I’m going to do what I’ve got to do to help my team win games. That’s all I can do. I have no control over those type of things. I try to keep my mind off of it.”
