The Hornets would like to engage the Knicks in trade talks involving point guard Kemba Walker, but the two teams have yet to have any substantive discussions, league sources tell Ian Begley of ESPN. As ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Friday, the Hornets are open to moving Walker, though the star guard won’t come cheap.
Any potential trade partner with interest in Walker would likely have to be willing to take on one of Charlotte’s less desirable contracts — Nicolas Batum, Dwight Howard, Marvin Williams, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist are among the highly-paid Hornets who fit that bill. Additionally, according to Wojnarowski, the Hornets are hoping that the inclusion of Walker in a salary-shedding deal would help the club land a good young player or a first-round pick.
[RELATED: More Kemba Walker notes, rumors from Friday]
As Begley notes, it makes sense that Charlotte would view New York as a good match, since the Knicks have a talented young point guard prospect in Frank Ntilikina and haven’t traded away any of their future first-round picks.
Still, Begley is skeptical that the Knicks will be willing to match the Hornets’ asking price. The club was very reluctant during the offseason to take on any sizable long-term salary commitments in a Carmelo Anthony trade, and it’s unlikely that stance has changed. Additionally, in order to match salaries with the Hornets, the Knicks might want to include one of their own long-term contracts, such as Joakim Noah‘s or Courtney Lee‘s, which wouldn’t appeal to Charlotte.
Kemba and Batum for Ntilikinia, Kanter, 1st, Dougie Buckets
im not a knick fan, but no. thats a terrible deal for them.
You’ve got to be kidding
Tell me why it wouldn’t work
Knicks are giving up 2 players they can build with, a decent player off the bench and a pick for Kemba plus a terrible contract. Knicks would be giving up to much, Phil Jackson still ain’t around to make that bad deal
Well the Hornets aren’t moving Kemba without getting rid of a bad contract unless someone completely blows them out of the water with an offer. And Kemba is still young that he can be a building block. Unless, of course, your content with burning out KP on the hope that Ntilikina or another Knicks draft pick turns into a star.
Kanter can and likely will opt out of his contract at the end of the year, McDermott will need a raise so maybe Charlotte could flip him with someone else.
Kemba Walker isn’t the difference maker, the Knicks need.
There’s a reason Hornets are trying to unload Batum’s contract. Salaries of $22M, $24M, $25M, $27M 4 years! All fully guaranteed to a player, who is unselfish and a team player — yes but the epitome of overrated, averaging 11/4.7/4 and career average of 12/3.7/5.3
Shooting 29% from 3? 41% overall? for the season Yuck.
Ntilikina…
And a 1st too? Lmao.
They should be giving us a 1st to take that albatross of a contract off their hands. Batum is a nice role player, getting paid like a star.
I like Kemba, but Kemba’s contract expires after next year.
Williams is a worse player than Batum— with a much better contract (Much older than Batum too, Williams turns 32 in 5 months)
This is a horrible trade — of the Isiah variety but Credit for being proactive.
I posted this in the other thread “Knicks Notes: Kanter, Hornacek, Porzingis, Trade Deadline Plans” link to hoopsrumors.com but thought it would be better to post here.
Kemba is over rated
You spelt underrated wrong
Knicks gotta include Porzinkis
Then it would become Kemba+
Hornets don’t have enough assets to trade for KP
That’s the dumbest thing anyone has ever said
Ntilikina, Noah and their number one in 2019 for Kemba and Batum. Knicks take on the last year of Batum’s contact ($27m) along with $4-7m p/y for the next two years (diff between contracts).
Knicks then turn Kanter and Lee over to the Cavs for their Nets pick, Thompson and Shumpert.
Ok… I’ll stop.
No way that gets the Nets pick.
Looks good, if the Cavs pick instead. $32mil of Knicks vs $26.4 of Cavs ×1.25=$33mil. Gilbert won’t like $5.6mil x4 on his tax bill though.
The day the Hornets rid Kimba is the day I give up my tickets. If it was a GS Curry swap for Kimba plus Batum and MGK, I’d say go for it. Curry coming home would be nice.
I thought my glass was half-full…
Michael Gidd-Killchrist?
MKG, Sorry
The Knicks will be waiting an eternity for Frank Ntilikina to develop, quite frankly he is nothing special. I just do not see a future all-star in this kid, he does not carry himself with much confidence on the offensive end and I do not expect that to improve,specially playing in New York. If the Knicks have a shot at getting Walker you should be all in, a combination of Walker,Hardaway Jr, and Porzingis is pretty lethal. That gives them 3 elite 3 point shooters and the pressure Walker would take off Porzingis will be worth it. Frank will be good but he’ll never be Kemba Walker offensively.
knee grow hush puppy.
Agreed. If you watch Ntilikina, he can barely dribble with his left – predominantly right handed, which makes it easy as hell to guard him. Can’t understand how they passed on Mitchell and Smith – especially when they were high on Mitchell.
Walker (a little poor man’s Melo) would take the ball away from KP and everyone else. FN is already a vastly superior defender and a better passer with superior vision. He’s 19. Defensive and ball movement skills (things many Knick fans don’t think matter because they can’t remember a team that had them). Isiah isn’t running things any more and that’s what it would take to overpay for a slight immediate upgrade.
FN can’t dribble. Nor can he shoot. If defense is all he offers, I say trade him now while he has some worth.
Seems like good pickups. Nobody talks about Cody Zeller though, good or bad, valued or not. Shouldn’t he be back from injury by now?
When did all my fellow Knicks fans develop amnesia? Is it contagious? Should I be concerned? I like remembering stuff.
Remember how stupid it was to trade every young asset on a roster that wasn’t ready to compete for Carmelo Anthony months before he became a free agent? Remember how the team only had one winning season after that because they didn’t have any assets to acquire any other help once Stat’s body failed? Good times right?
Or remember the ridiculous amount of times the Knicks have traded first round picks for win now players and ended up never winning? Remember losing out on picks that should have been LaMarcus Aldridge, Joakim Noah and Gordon Hayward? Remember the Stephen Marbury trade where we were bringing home a New York star point guard to lead us to the promised land? Trading the future for a player that averaged 20/8/3 on 43% shooting and 31% from 3 on a middling team is nothing like trading the future for a player that averages 21/6/3 on 42% shooting and 34% from 3, right? I mean trading two first round picks for that guy is how teams build foundations of winning for years to come right? Remember all those dynasties built on this formula?
Also, remember all those 19 year olds that walked into the league and straight dominated? Remember how Kobe only started one game in his first two years in the league as a 18/19 year old and averaged 15/2/2 on 42% shooting as a 19 year old in his second year? Maybe the Lakers should have dealt him then because he didn’t look like anything special? Or how Giannis was awful his first year as a 19 year old and struggled to average 7/4/2 on 41% shooting whose only saving grace was strong D? Remind you of anyone? Or Dirk who averaged 8/3/1 on 40% and 20% from 3 in his first year as a 20 year old? But clearly, the best idea is giving up on a 19 year old who is receiving compliments from guys like Kyrie for his on ball D because you can get Kemba Walker for 18 months.
It must be great to live in a world where past mistakes and failures are ignored every time a team wants to offer an All Star in a trade. I’ll end this rant with two things: 1) Please remember. Amnesia doesn’t help anyone and 2) the reason the Hornets want to engage the Knicks is because they need a dumb organization to take advantage of by offloading a bad contract with a guy who will walk in 18 months for assets. And when you need to take advantage of a team in a trade, you come to the Knicks. Remember?
Kemba can walk in 18 months and the desperation from Charlotte to trade him will only increase because 1) Charlotte isn’t good with him and 2) he isn’t resigning there.
Knicks should do whatever they can to get Kemba. Ntilinkina is so overrated as a PG. If they can trade Kanter or Noah (wishful thinking), and take back Batum but not give up their #1 pick that would be fine. Hernangomez gets to develop and Jack becomes a backup with Burke. Knicks can also consider trades involving Lee, O’Quinn, McDermott.
Walker is being overrated because he’s immediately available. Ball dominant undersized PG. Immediate availability makes him valuable to “win now” teams, not rebuilding teams. If FN or a 1st round pick (other than a protected one that can never land in the lottery) is even discussed, then its clear the Knicks aren’t serious about rebuilding to a true contender. This would put a “ceiling” on the next 5 years of the sixth seed or so. Walker is not elite and will (with KP) in couple of years eat up all the cap space we might have for years.