NBA trade rumors: Hornets make Kemba Walker available, prepare to hit reset button

Hornets fans will likely be buzzing with anger Friday morning once they hear the news about their favorite All-Star point guard.

Charlotte has made Kemba Walker available in trade talks, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, as the front office would like to attach Walker to one of its bad contracts as part of a larger deal. Walker is clearly the closest thing the Hornets have to a franchise player, but he is only the sixth-highest paid member of the team behind Cody Zeller, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marvin Williams, Nic Batum and Dwight Howard.

MORE: Anthony Davis isn't available (sorry to all Celtics fans)

There are 15 teams in the NBA this season with a total team payroll north of $115 million. The Hornets are the only one of those 15 teams with a losing record.
Even worse, the Hornets have more than $118 in salary committed to this same group of players for the 2018-19 season.

— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) January 19, 2018

A Walker trade would certainly be met with some backlash, as he has been Charlotte's one steady performer the past few seasons and become a fan favorite. Walker is second on the all-time list in franchise history for points, assists and 3-point field goals. This move would signal a full rebuild, and that could have consequences for a team that already struggles to draw fans to the Spectrum Center.

All it takes is one look at Walker's on vs. off numbers to see his impact on how the Hornets operate.

Despite Walker's best efforts in averaging 21.7 points and 5.8 assists per game this season, the Hornets find themselves on the outside of the playoff picture. Charlotte is 18-25 overall, 4.5 games behind the Sixers for the last postseason spot in the East. The Hornets did just get head coach Steve Clifford back on the bench after Clifford was out dealing with severe headaches, but it appears his return isn't enough to give management hope for a playoff run.