5. Kemba Walker
Kemba Walker is one of the top point guards in the NBA. He is scheduled to make $12 million this season and next.
For his career, Walker is averaging 18.7 points, 5.4 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game, shooting 35 percent from the 3-point line. He was an All-Star last season and has been the Charlotte Hornets’ go-to man for years.
ESPN Sources: Charlotte making All-Star guard Kemba Walker available in trade talks. Story: https://t.co/4u3mLpmHcH
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 19, 2018
Now it doesn’t make sense for Portland to trade for Walker since they have Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. But if they continue to use this three-guard lineup of Lillard, McCollum and Shabazz Napier, they could trade for Walker and play him next to Lillard and McCollum instead of Napier.
The Blazers then could rotate those three guards and always have an elite ball-handler on the floor.
Walker is one of the hardest players to defend one-on-one. He is lighting fast and loves to score the basketball. Playing next to other star players would reduce pressure on Walker and allow him to play more relaxed, knowing everything doesn’t fall on him. It would be interesting to see how far the Blazers could go being led by three elite smaller guards.
Why the Hornets might do this trade
Maurice Harkless is just 24 years old and has fallen out of the rotation in Portland. The Jazz could use a long, athletic wing like Harkless.
They also get Shabazz Napier to replace Walker. Napier has similarities to Walker and if he plays well the Hornets could bring him back this offseason.
Because Walker is a bigger name, the Hornets will probably want a draft pick for him. This would be a playoff push move so the draft pick would not be a high one, however.