5. Kemba Walker in Charlotte: Nov. 7
Everything was lined up for Kemba Walker to return to the Charlotte Hornets last summer. A spot on the All-NBA Third Team made him eligible for a five-year supermax contract, the likes of which Charlotte seemed destined to hand over so as not to lose its franchise talent.
General manager Mitch Kupchak said back in April he’d do everything he could to keep Walker around. And then, the max offer, the only logical reason for Kemba to remain in Charlotte, never came, prompting the three-time All-Star to sign with the Boston Celtics.
The Hornets didn’t just fail to offer the maximum amount possible. They fell roughly $60 million short of that figure for the franchise’s all-time leading scorer who was more than willing to take less than the max, just not by such a large amount.
Perhaps Walker is willing to let the past remain there as he embarks on this new and exciting time in his career that will have him as a routine fixture in the postseason. As a competitor, however, he has to feel some time of way about the low-ball offer from the organization he gave so much to.
The fans in Charlotte will show nothing but love and Walker is sure to send plenty into the crowd at the Spectrum Center. What he projects on the organization may not be as friendly, and if he finds the hot hand early, Kemba could put on a show that painfully reminds the franchise of what they let go.