Five Potential Trade Destinations For Kemba Walker
Kemba Walker is the hottest name at this year’s trade deadline, as the Charlotte Hornets are reportedly willing to discuss moving their star point guard. While Michael Jordan has claimed he doesn’t want to trade Walker, you know the Hornets will be listening to offers.
Walker was an All-Star in 2017, and is having another solid season in Charlotte despite his team’s struggles. The 27-year-old is currently averaging 21.8 points, 5.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds in 34.7 minutes per game.
His numbers aren’t the only value Walker brings to the table, he’s also ridiculously cheap. He’s under contract through next season for just $12 million and that’s what makes him so valuable. Whichever team trades for Walker will have him through next season at a ridiculous discount.
What follows are five trades (yes, they’ve been checked with the trade machine) that could get done and help both teams involved. The Hornets will be looking for youth, draft picks and/or expiring contracts.
New York Knicks
The New York Knicks would be a perfect fit for Walker, who is from the Bronx and has history within Madison Square Garden. As we posted last week, a deal between the two teams is possible, but I’d go in a different direction than the deal we posed.
In this scenario, I’ve got the Knicks landing Walker in exchange for Frank Ntilikina, Ron Baker, a 2018 first-round pick and the Chicago Bulls’ 2018 second-round pick.
The Knicks would get a star to pair with Kristaps Porzingis, while the Hornets would get a young, exciting point guard (Ntilikina), a first-rounder and what could be a decent second-rounder, while Baker would be a decent bench piece under contract through 2019.
New York gets: Kemba Walker
Charlotte gets: Ron Baker, Frank Ntilikina, 2018 first-round pick, Chicago’s 2018 second-round pick
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers clearly need…something. This season is spinning out of control and while LeBron James and company have talent, they need a spark. Enter Walker, whose dynamic playmaking skills can make those around him better. Given Isaiah Thomas’ injury issues, Walker is clearly a better option at this point.
The solution? Swap Walker and Thomas as the key parts of a trade. My full proposal would see Walker and Johnny O'Bryant going to the Cavs, while Thomas, Channing Frye, Ante Zizic and Brooklyn’s 2018 first-round pick would head to Charlotte.
The Cavs would get a playmaking point guard who will be around next season regardless of what happens with LeBron, along with six fouls per game in Bryant. The Hornets would get the Nets’ first-rounder, a scoring machine (when healthy) in Thomas, Frye’s expiring $7.5 million deal and a cheap project with skills at center in Zizic.
Cleveland gets: Kemba Walker, Johnny O’Bryant
Charlotte gets: Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye, Ante Zizic, Brooklyn’s first-round pick
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns have a ton of talent but are in desperate need of a veteran leader in the backcourt. They also have some young players who have yet to break out and might need a change of scenery.
In this scenario, the Suns would get Walker and Dwight Howard, while sending Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss, Tyler Ulis and Greg Monroe’s expiring contract.
Howard is having a really nice bounce-back season (15.5 points, 12.5 rebounds per game) and he, like Walker, is under contract through next season.
The Hornets would get a pair of young, high-upside, second-year big guys and a young replacement point guard in Uliss. Chriss (7.2 points, 5.0 rebounds) and Bender (5.7 points, 3.4 rebounds) have not developed in two years with the Suns and need a chance to play. Meanwhile, Monroe’s $17.88 million salary is off the books at the end of the season.
Suns get: Kemba Walker, Dwight Howard
Hornets get: Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss, Tyler Ulis, Greg Monroe
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers have been a surprise this season and with the emergence of Victor Oladipo as a legitimate MVP candidate, things look great in Indianapolis. While the Pacers are exceeding expectations, it’s time to get greedy. Adding Walker would give Indiana one of the NBA’s best backcourt tandems.
For a deal to work, a lot of pieces would need to change hands. The Pacers would get Walker, Marvin Williams and Oladipo’s college teammate Cody Zeller. In exchange, the Hornets would take back Darren Collison, Bojan Bogdanovic, Al Jefferson, rookie T.J. Leaf and Indiana’s first-round pick in 2018.
Walker and Oladipo would give the Pacers firepower in the backcourt, while Williams has value as a reserve shooting 45.2 percent from 3-point range. Meanwhile, Zeller is a local hero who, like Oladipo, could thrive in a new situation. Zeller is currently out after knee surgery but should return soon.
The key to this deal for the Hornets is that none of the vets they’d take back is under contract past the 2018-19 season. Collison is having a great year and could be a solid stop-gap at the point, while Bogdanovic and Jefferson are average at best. But they get a prospect with decent upside in Leaf who is buried in Indy, and a first-rounder.
Indiana gets: Kemba Walker, Marvin Williams, Cody Zeller
Charlotte gets: Darren Collison, Al Jefferson, Bojan Bogdanovic, T.J. Leaf, 2018 first-round pick
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons need an upgrade at point guard and have several young players desperately in need of a chance to grow somewhere else.
In this deal, the Pistons would land Walker and bolster their bench shooting with Williams. In exchange they’d give up the struggling Reggie Jackson, and find a new home for youngsters Stanley Johnson, Luke Kennard and Henry Ellenson.
The Pistons would finally have some juice with Walker, Tobias Harris, and Avery Bradley manning the perimeter and Andre Drummond patrolling the paint.
The Hornets would have to eat Jackson’s awful deal (two years, $35 million left after this season), but they’d get three young, former first-round picks in the deal. Charlotte would give Johnson (7.5 points, 3.6 rebounds) a much-needed change of scenery. The eighth pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Johnson has not developed as expected. But he’s still just 21 and has loads of pure talent. Meanwhile, Ellenson (6.7 minutes in 18 games) and Kennard (17.9 minutes in 39 games) both need more playing time. The former first-round picks could thrive if given the opportunity.
Detroit gets: Kemba Walker, Marvin Williams
Charlotte gets: Reggie Jackson, Stanley Johnson, Luke Kennard, Henry Ellenson