With trade rumors swirling around Kemba Walker over the last several days, Hornets owner Michael Jordan spoke to local beat reporter Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer on Monday night to set the record straight. While Jordan acknowledged that Walker’s name has come up in trade talks, he told Bonnell that he’s not looking to trade his star guard unless he gets a marquee player in return.
“Obviously, the season has been a disappointment so far, and there have been teams asking about players. Also, we’ve been asking about players,” Jordan said. “We ask teams who they like on our roster and they always say Kemba. … It’s not like we are shopping him. We would not just give him up. I love Kemba Walker. I would not trade him for anything but an All-Star player.”
Although they’ve played a little better in January, the 19-26 Hornets remain out of playoff contention in the Eastern Conference for now. Acknowledging that the club’s record is disappointing, Jordan tells Bonnell that he has not given up on the season yet. In other words, he’s not looking to sell off Walker in order to kick-start a full-fledged rebuild. In fact, the Hornets’ owner reached out to Walker on Friday to assure the 27-year-old that the franchise is “not predisposed to moving him,” according to Bonnell.
Still, while some teams would deny the trade rumors outright, Jordan did admit that there have been some discussions centered around Walker — and some of those talks were instigated by the Hornets, Bonnell writes. If Jordan and the Hornets really hope to attach an unwanted contract to Walker and land an All-Star caliber player in return, a deal may not be realistic, but the club isn’t closing the door on the possibility of moving its best player.
“We bred him, we chose him, we groomed him to be a good player for us,” Jordan said of Walker. “I’m not looking to trade Kemba, but I would listen to opportunities.”
KNicks rumors don’t make a lot of sense to me, their window isn’t now and he’d just stunt the developement of Ntilikina
If you are banking on Ntilikina to make a difference you will be dissapointed, the kid is George Hill at best.
Players like George Hill or Patrick Beverly make a difference and are productive, valuable starters when their on the floor with Porzingis and Hardaway. Not everyone has to be a big time scorer/star to be a worthwhile player.
Yep, should’ve taken DSJr
So let me get this straight Michael you plan on re-signing Kemba when he becomes a free-agent. I do not see the direction here, Monk and Bacon barely get any minutes and this team is just a mess I really do not see what their plan is. As much as you may like Kemba Michael he is not getting you anywhere but at best a 1st round exit. Batum won’t get any better then he currently is, Michael has improved his jumper but I don’t see a star, Dwight has performed better then I thought he would but this team is spinning tires. Time to clean house, get Dwight,Kemba, and Batum out of there and start building with Monk and Bacon. Start moving these guys possibly Kemba with the current pick to move up and get Marvin Bagley.
The usual unworkable advice, repeated for every team: Get rid of everyone except a few oddball choices, then somehow acquire a top 5 pick & start over. Nothing about that will happen. It’s like the “Bring it On” movie where a choreographer is going from squad to squad selling the same “jazz hands” routine.
Omg dionnis is jazz hands. This made my day.