NBA Trade Rumors 2018: Michael Jordan Says Kemba Walker Is Not on the Trading Block
The Charlotte Hornets' principal owner, Michael Jordan, recently said the team was not actively shopping for trade deals involving Kemba Walker.
The trade deadline is right around the corner, so teams are once again making a run to get the best possible deal they can in the hopes of fortifying their rosters. As for the Hornets, the rumor mill has been filled with reports that the management is looking to negotiate with other teams and is offering Walker.
Recently, Jordan spoke up about the rumors and told The Charlotte Observer: "We bred him, we chose him, we groomed him to be a good player for us."
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However, in the same interview, Jordan seemed to imply that nothing had been finalized yet. The NBA Hall of Famer added: "I'm not looking to trade Kemba, but I would listen to opportunities."
And by "opportunities," Jordan meant that he will only agree if they are getting an All-Star player on the level of San Antonio Spurs' Kawhi Leonard, the report added.
Over the weekend, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Hornets' front office "has been encouraging" other NBA franchises to engage in talks with them with Walker as the main trade option.
According to the Observer, Jordan had requested for a telephone interview to clarify the trade rumors. On the other hand, he also confirmed that the Hornets has had discussions for the upcoming trade deadline but maintained that they were not eager to let Walker go.
Jordan also shared that in the several discussions they had with other teams, most were asking if a deal involving Walker was possible.
"It's not like we are shopping him. We would not just give him up. I love Kemba Walker. I would not trade him for anything but an All-Star player," Jordan said.
The Hornets major owner admitted that the team's performance had him "disappointed" and "frustrated" but added that he is not giving up just yet and is not looking forward to "throw away" Walker's work.
Walker had been drafted to the NBA in 2011 and has been with the Hornets since.
The NBA trade deadline is on Feb. 8.
