Something Hornets’ Kemba Walker calls ‘just not fun’ could force him out of Charlotte

Kemba Walker’s competitive zeal has pushed him to the verge of being the Charlotte Hornets’ all-time leading scorer.

That same passion for winning could eventually push him to another team.

Walker entered Monday’s home game against the New York Knicks 50 points from breaking Dell Curry’s record of 9,839. Six games behind the eighth-place Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference, the Hornets will miss the playoffs for the fifth time in Walker’s seven NBA seasons.

The Hornets will soon hire a new general manager to replace the departed Rich Cho. If that next general manager’s intention is to oversee a long-term rebuild, it could affect Walker’s career plans.

“At this point, I want to win. I want to be in the playoffs,” Walker told the Observer on Monday morning. “I’m tired of not being in the playoffs. ... I hate watching them on TV.

“I’ve been there twice in seven years, and it’s just not fun” missing out.

Walker’s four-year, $48 million contract expires after next season. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his NBA career, presumably still in the prime of a career that has included back-to-back All-Star appearances last season and this one.

Walker led Connecticut to the national championship in 2011 before turning pro. New Orleans Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry has called Walker’s competitiveness akin to future Hall-of-Famer Kobe Bryant.

Walker considers Charlotte home, and is building a dream house here. He said Monday, “Hopefully, I’ll be here for a long time.”

Still, he doesn’t want to squander his optimum chance to pursue an NBA championship, or at minimum to experience playoff success. So that will definitely play in his thinking, once the next general manager establishes a plan to fix a team that is 33-41 and overloaded with expensive veteran contracts for next season.

“I’ve always felt like I’m a winning player. Like I deserved it to be in the playoffs – to be battling,” Walker said. “That’s what it will be all about in the future.”

Undoubtedly, one of the first things the next general manager will do is gauge Walker’s desires. He is both this team’s best player and its most tradeable asset, playing on a bargain $12 million salary next season.

Trading Walker would be painful, but it might also be necessary if the alternative is risking losing him for nothing after next season.

“Whenever we get a new GM, we’ll see what direction he wants to go,” Walker said, “and I’ll make the best decision for me.”

This story was originally published March 26, 2018 at 5:06 PM with the headline "Something Hornets’ Kemba Walker calls ‘just not fun’ could force him out of Charlotte."