Kemba Walker trade rumors: Hornets look to work out deal with Knicks for star guard

The two teams have reportedly not had any substantial discussions to this point

By Jack Maloney

Jan 20, 2018 at 1:36 pm ET • 1 min read

The NBA world was shaken on Friday when ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Charlotte Hornets are looking to trade franchise point guard Kemba Walker. In addition, per his report, the Hornets are also hoping to shed one of their bulky contracts in the deal. This may prove tricky considering the players signed to those deals and the current marketplace.

Now, we have some further details on the Hornets' plans. According to a report from ESPN's Ian Begley, the Hornets hope to engage the New York Knicks in discussions about Walker. The two teams, though, are yet to have any substantial discussions. The report also notes that the Knicks would likely be unwilling to take on any contracts in the deal. Via ESPN:

The Charlotte Hornets would like to engage the Knicks on trade discussions involving All-Star point guard Kemba Walker but New York and Charlotte haven't yet had substantive discussions about a trade involving Walker, per league sources. It seems unlikely at this point that the Knicks will want to meet Charlotte's desired return. Charlotte is hoping a Walker trade returns a good young player or a first-round pick, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Knicks have first-round draft picks and a promising young player in Frank Ntilikina.
But the other part of Charlotte's request is a holdup for the Knicks. Wojnarowski reports that Charlotte appears eager to shed one of its less desirable contracts. That would mean the Knicks would likely need to take on extra salary to acquire Walker, which was something New York was hesitant to do in trading Carmelo Anthony over the summer.

It's wholly unsurprising that the Knicks would be unwilling to take on one of Charlotte's bad contracts, even if it meant they got Walker. Even with Walker, the Knicks aren't ready to contend right now, Taking on an overpaid role player would not only do little to help them on the court, but also hinder their flexibility in terms of making other moves.

And this, likely, is going to be the hang-up for the Hornets. Everyone will want Walker, but no one is going to be eager to take on one of those contracts to get him.