Kemba Makes All-NBA, Now Eligible For Supermax

Cover Image
Photo credit Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Charlotte Hornets all-time leading scorer Kemba Walker is officially an All-NBA player.

Walker, 29, was named to the All-NBA Third Team announced on Thursday, and becomes the sixth Charlotte player in franchise history to receive an All-NBA nod and the first since center Al Jefferson was named to the third team in 2014.

The honor now means Walker is eligible for a supermax contract that only the Hornets can offer him.

A supermax contract is also known as the "Designated Veteran Player Extension," and allows teams to re-sign qualified players to maximum five-year contracts worth up to 35 percent of the salary cap, with eight percent escalation in each subsequent year.

The player must have played for at least eight years and either been named Defensive Player Of The Year or to an All-NBA team in the most recent season or both seasons before it or be named NBA MVP in any of the three previous seasons

The only players to have signed a supermax deal are Stephen Curry, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and John Wall.

Walker was named an NBA All-Star for the third time in his career and first as a starter.

Walker averaged a career-high 25.6 points, to go along with 5.9 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 34.9 minutes per game.

How should the Hornets front office navigate the offseason with Kemba Walker's free agency?@BobbyMarks42 joined the @ClubhouseKB to discuss.FULL interview➡️ https://t.co/hKiAXfCe4s pic.twitter.com/wXCq7BxvxL

— WFNZ-AM/FM (@wfnz) April 17, 2019

With Walker qualifying, Charlotte now can offer him up to $221 million over the next five years.

Any other NBA team can only offer Walker $140 million over the next four years.

Therefore, Walker would be leaving almost $80 million on the table if he were to leave Charlotte, assuming the Hornets were to offer the supermax.

The Hornets don't have to offer the supermax contract.

Considering that the Hornets already have $98 million of contract money being handed out to current players, if Charlotte were to give Walker the supermax, it would be forced to pay the NBA luxury tax, something the team has never done.

Walker is coming off a four-year, $48 million contract, a much lesser amount than what he is expected to receive this summer from a team.

Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak said in the team’s end-of-season press conference that the team will do whatever they can to re-sign Walker.

“Clearly we have limited flexibility financially so it’ll be a challenge,” -Mitch Kupchak pic.twitter.com/mvyyK385u9

— WFNZ-AM/FM (@wfnz) April 12, 2019

Below is the rest of the All-NBA selections:

All-NBA teams revealed and Kemba Walker is now Supermax eligible with Charlotte. Major free agency implications. pic.twitter.com/wOh0KxzW4k

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) May 23, 2019