Kemba wants to stay with Hornets: 'Charlotte's definitely my 1st priority'
As a pending free agent, Kemba Walker can theoretically play wherever he chooses next season.
But there's no place like home.
"Oh no question, Charlotte's definitely my first priority," he told The Athletic's Jared Weiss regarding his free-agency preferences. "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."
If he doesn't secure an extension with the Hornets before 6 p.m. ET on June 30, Walker will become a free agent for the first time in his career. The organization, then still known as the Bobcats, drafted him ninth overall in 2011 and he signed a four-year, $48-million extension with the team in October 2014.
Walker's familiarity with the franchise may not be the only reason to stay put. After being named to the All-NBA third team this season, Walker became eligible for the Designated Veteran Player Extension - the "Supermax" as it's otherwise known. That means the Hornets can offer him a five-year, $221.3-million deal while other teams' offers are maxed out at four years and $140 million.
The 29-year-old says the potential extra year under contract could be vital.
"I think so," he said. "I think at my age, whoever is my age in this situation, I think the fifth year is always important to them. So yeah, it's important for sure. But I don't know, we gon' see if we're gonna work something out and figure it out.
"Hopefully, things work out, but it's all about that God knows where I'm gonna go. He's the only one who knows where I'm going right now, honestly. So I'm just going to let this thing play out."
Walker has averaged 19.8 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game In eight seasons with the Hornets. He set a new career high in scoring this past season, averaging 25.6 points per game along with 5.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds.