The Hornets are keeping an eye on the point guard free agent market and are considering the possibility of reuniting with Kemba Walker, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (video link).
Walker was drafted by Charlotte out of UConn with the ninth overall pick in 2011 and spent his first eight NBA seasons with the Hornets before signing with Boston as a free agent in 2019. He made three All-Star teams during his time in Charlotte and earned a fourth All-Star nod in his first year as a Celtic, but has been slowed by knee problems since then.
After being traded from Boston to Oklahoma City during the 2021 offseason, Walker was bought out by the Thunder and signed with the Knicks. However, he was limited to just 37 games with New York in 2021/22 and didn’t look like his old self. The 32-year-old was traded to Detroit in a salary-dump deal earlier this month and is expected to be bought out again, though he remains on the Pistons‘ official roster for the time being.
Having been bought out twice in two years, Walker would seem unlikely to land more than a minimum-salary contract in free agency, but the Hornets could theoretically offer more than that — they have their full mid-level and bi-annual exceptions available.
Walker’s level of interest in returning to Charlotte is unclear.
The Hornets currently have 13 players on standard contracts and only one of them, LaMelo Ball, is a true point guard, though Terry Rozier will also have some ball-handling responsibilities. Charlotte seems likely to fill one of its two remaining roster spots with a point guard.
According to Charania, the Hornets are also mulling the idea of bringing back Isaiah Thomas, who was solid down the stretch last season and emerged as a locker room leader in Charlotte. Thomas is still unsigned after averaging 8.3 PPG on .433/.397/.933 shooting in 17 games (12.9 MPG) for the Hornets last season.
The Hornets are in no rush to fill their two open roster spots, as they continue to monitor Miles Bridges‘ legal situation, Charania notes.
Are Gilbert Arenas and Tracy McGrady unavailable?
Hahahaha
I think Rasheed Wallace is contemplating a comeback
Hard times ahead for Charlotte. Odds of Melo retiring a Hornet have gone down sharply since the all-star break about 6months ago
Sign these two and Bridges at a huge discount. This franchise doesn’t really have the history to be picky. Maybe you can offset the bad publicity of Bridges that those two will create with fan favor.
Bridges is facing felony charges for child abuse and domestic violence. Unless some major piece of news changes things, I don’t think he’s going to be playing basketball this season or for the foreseeable future.
Oh for sure, if true the man deserves to be out for a loooong time. As far running though if he’s out of prison he can help a team but he will be really bad PR and a distraction.
Didn’t Kobe get pulled into court on rape and pay his way out of it? Didn’t he also get called out on domestic abuse?
He’s seen as one of the beloved now but he wasn’t at the time. Money gets you out of a lot of trouble. There’s 1,000 of cases where athletes have been involved in domestic abuse, rape, assault etc. It all gets swept.
He’ll get off this and be playing by next year. It’ll be forgotten by 25. Not that I agree, I’d send the guy down but as I said money talks.
He has to change his number too
No domestic abuse charges for Kobe –
Maybe read the police report of the Kobe trial-
Nobody will ever know what really happened but it was a great time for middle America to paint a black hero a rapist for their own self satisfaction w/out any evidence, conviction, ect
Exactly. Bridges is in an entirely different position than Kobe
NGL I loved Kobe but there’s no smoke without fire and if a girl says rape the world listens,usually. Kobe was only different because he was a bigger star. Granted its common as hell for these girls to create these kinds stories for a quick buck. But again we don’t know.
Like I said he wasn’t the first to commit, or be accused of committing crimes and Briges won’t be the last.
Off the top of my head in similar situation I remember Kidd being convicted of domestic abuse, and I’m sure Rondo pulled a gun on his girl in front of kids recently. No defence to these guys but that’s the system. The issue here is they’re putting “child abuse” with the charges for their children witnessing the assaults. That makes me think they’re planning to try and throw the book at him. First I’ve heard that one before.
Perhaps the FO is under a mandate to not bring in a PG who’s better defensively than Melo.
I don’t see the Hornets doing anything but regressing this season. Sucks. Miles “Moron” Bridges really screwed himself and his (former) team.
Yes, he has screwed himself, but I wouldn’t be quick to call the Hornets his former team. As far as I know, they haven’t rescinded their QO, so the ball’s in his court to sign it. Yes, a suspension could wipe some if not all of it out and he could wind up doing time, but it’s the best offer he’s going to get now. It’s possible that his agents and the Hornets have an off-the-record agreement that he won’t sign the QO nor will they pull it before there’s more clarity with his legal situation.
This is from Cbabreakdown.com: “Timing — A team can withdraw a Qualifying Offer (regular or maximum) on or before July 13 without a player’s consent. If it’s not withdrawn by then, the player has until October 1 to accept it and the Qualifying Offer may only be withdrawn with his consent. A player cannot accept a Qualifying Offer after October 1 unless the team (before October 1) extended the time for him to accept it.”
So, Charlotte can no longer withdraw the QO, but he has until October 1 to accept it unless Charlotte grants him an extension.
Everyone is kind of on everyone’s “radar”
Sure would like to see Knicks look at Bouknight …… he’s wasting away in Charlotte.
With his injuries and under production so far? They need him, so I dont think it makes sense to day that this early…also, the Knicks dont need Bluknight. They have other similar players
Isaiah could make the grade.