5 NBA reunions that need to happen

3. Kemba Walker to Charlotte

At this point, Kemba Walker could reunite with multiple teams. It would mean the most, however, if he went back to the Charlotte Hornets.

Cardiac Kemba was a lottery selection out of UConn for the franchise in 2011, then known as the Charlotte Bobcats. He was faced with adversity almost immediately, as the team went 7-59 during the lockout-shortened season.

But the Bobcats/Hornets would get better over the years, as would Walker. By 2017, Walker was an All-Star, a trip he made four consecutive years (spanning two teams). His crowning achievement came after the 2018-19 season, when Walker was named to the All-NBA Third Team.

That season would go on to be his last in Charlotte. He agreed to join the Boston Celtics with a sign-and-trade in the offseason, signing a four-year, $141 million contract. Knee injuries would derail his time in Boston, though, and stints in New York and Dallas ended ignominiously, with the Mavericks waiving the guard this month.

It’s fair to wonder what Walker has left on the tires. He did manage to put up 32 points in one of his games with the Mavs this season, reminiscent of that brief stretch with the Knicks when he became a points machine or nabbed a triple-double on Christmas. But those moments are the exception, not the norm.

Maybe this reunion wouldn’t be for a playing contract. Maybe it can just be a one-day contract for Walker to retire and plan on having his jersey retired in the Spectrum Center rafters.

Over the summer, the Hornets considered a reunion, according to reports. It’s not too late to make it happen.