No doubt sensing that his time with the Hornets was ending, Kemba Walker entered 2019 free-agency with an open mind and the freedom to chart his own destiny.
As a natural-born leader, talented scorer, and 4x NBA All-Star, Kemba was a hot commodity in the summer of 2019 and there was a multitude of options waiting for the former UConn point guard.
He ended up choosing the Celtics and, considering how well both he and his team have been doing, it’s hard to say he was wrong in making that decision.
In hindsight, though, you can’t help but wonder how things would have turned out had he made a different choice that day. According to Walker himself, the Knicks were on his mind before he made his final decision.
He also admitted earlier this month that the Lakers and Mavericks were doing some heavy recruiting…
(via Sopan Deb of The New York Times)
“At first, Walker said, he was heavily pursued by the Los Angeles Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks and the team he grew up closest to, the Knicks. He considered going home.”
Ultimately, he chose the Celtics. Something about their culture appealed to the star guard in a way no other team did.
“When they came on the scene, things shifted a little bit,” Walker said. “The excitement started to go that way.”
The Lakers are doing well enough without Kemba. They’re up 2-1 over the Rockets in the Western Conference Semi-Finals.
But it’s clear that his presence would have made things a whole lot easier. The team’s lack of depth in the backcourt has really been exposed in these playoffs and it is often that LeBron James and Anthony Davis are being let down by their current supporting cast.
Kemba Walker averaged 20 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game on 42% shooting in his debut season with Boston, so it’s impossible to say he wouldn’t have made a difference in L.A.
Regardless, they’ll have to make do without him and Kemba will have to be at peace with however things end this season and moving forward. Though, something tells me he’ll do just fine.
