Kemba Walker says Charlotte is ‘first priority’ in free agency
Kemba Walker is one of the bigger free agents of the summer, but unlike some of his counterparts, he’s not exactly rushing for a move for a bigger market.
Walker said that his “first priority” is Charlotte, and he noted that the idea of spending his career with one team appealed to him.
“Oh no question, Charlotte’s definitely my first priority,” Walker told Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “That’s where I’ve been for eight years and that’s all I know. Not many people get a chance to play for one NBA team throughout their career. When I go on my Instagram, I see, ‘Kemba leave! Kemba get out of Charlotte!’ People don’t understand, when they say you need to go ‘here’ and win, that winning is not guaranteed anywhere.
“Charlotte is my home, man,” Walker said. “I’ve been there for eight years and it’s been the most amazing eight years of my life. My family, they love it. The fans love me. The organization has been great and gave me my opportunity.”
Given that the Hornets are equally interested in keeping Walker around, it certainly sounds more likely than not that the star guard will be staying put. It helps that they are the only team that can offer a five-year supermax deal. Those factors mean that, in an offseason that could see a lot of upheaval in free agency, Walker appears content to stay right where he is.
