NBA: Predicting the landing spots for the top 15 free agents
Kemba Walker (UFA)
I’ve mentioned this in a previous article, but I’m gonna say it again; if the Hornets decide to re-sign Kemba Walker, they are what I’d like to call “John Walling” themselves. Charlotte can offer the 30-year-old a whopping $221 million over the next five years, a figure other teams cannot come close to. But if Walker wants to win now, his best option is to pack his bags and sign with someone else.
Now, who might that someone else be? The Celtics have shown a great deal of interest in him, but they might not have enough cap room to pull that off. The Mavericks are also rumored to be interested in the 6-foot tall point guard, but after presumably signing Porzingis to a max contract, they won’t have any cap room themselves to bring him in.
The Lakers… well they practically want everybody (same goes for the Knicks). The Pacers makes the most sense fit-wise, but there hasn’t been any indication that Indiana actually wants him.
This ultimately leads back to the Hornets. It’s looking like a real possibility that he may not leave the city he’s called home as there is mutual interest. We can only hope as NBA fans that the front office surrounds him with actual talent and not a boatload of overpaid role players.