Kemba Walker's Return to Charlotte Makes More Sense With LaMelo Ball Injured

Since leaving the Charlotte Hornets in 2019, things have not been the same for Kemba Walker. He jumped from one team to another but his fit has not been perfect.

After Charlotte, the four-time All-Star also had stints with the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks. He was a bust in Gotham last season and hardly made noise.

He was traded last July to the Detroit Pistons along with the draft rights of Jalen Duren in exchange for a future first-round selection. It was seen more as a salary dump.

The Pistons and Walker have also agreed that the latter would be away from the team as the 9th overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft seeks better opportunities. As of this writing, no NBA team has shown interest in the two-time NBA Sportsmanship Award winner.

But one team that could make sense is Walker’s first team – the Charlotte Hornets. The 32-year-old guard was spotted last Friday when the Hornets visited the Pistons and now suggestions of a possible return to Charlotte have been suggested.

“That would be special [to return to Charlotte]. [But] as far as closing my career, I’ve got a few more years left in my opinion, so I’m not thinking about that yet. We’ll see. I’m just waiting. [Nobody’s] reached out to me. I’m just waiting,” Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe stated.

With LaMelo Ball suffering an injury, taking in Walker could make sense for the Hornets. The 6-foot- guard has proven in the past that he can light it up in the past. But all this was before his injuries started to show, preventing him from consistently helping teams he has played for.

If they do sign him, the Hornets are likely to relegate Walker to backup once Ball is ready to play again. There is no telling when that would be.

Hence, the best Walker can do right now is just show he can still play – assuming the Hornets do re-sign him for another tour of duty.