The Charlotte Hornets have reportedly put Kemba Walker on the trade market, but the star point guard would much rather stay put.
Walker said Friday that he would be “devastated” if the Hornets dealt him, admitting that he would prefer to stay put and turn the franchise around.
“I would definitely be devastated if I was to get traded,” Walker said, via Dan Feldman of ProBasketballTalk. “I do want to be here.”
Walker admitted that dealing with trade rumors for the first time in his career hasn’t been easy.
“I’ve never really been in trade rumors like that, like I’ve been hearing lately about myself,” Walker said. “But I mean, I don’t know. I don’t even know. I don’t know.
“This is very new, and I really just don’t know.”
Walker has, in the past, been frustrated with Charlotte’s lack of success, but he clearly wants to be a part of the turnaround. That may no longer be possible. He’s a 27-year-old signed on a very team-friendly deal through 2019, which could fetch the 18-25 Hornets a big haul in a possible trade.
