Knicks, Lakers' Chances Of Signing Kemba Walker Likely Decreased With 2019 All-NBA Awards

Kemba Walker was named a member of the 2019 All-NBA Third Team Thursday afternoon. The announcement was good news for the point guard, but not so much for teams that plan to pursue him in free agency.

The honor makes Walker eligible to sign a supermax contract. That means the Charlotte Hornets can offer him a five-year deal worth $221 million. Walker can only receive a four-year offer for about $141 million from NBA teams that have room under the salary cap this summer.

Walker is a tier below true superstar free agents like Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard, but there's no doubt that he's going to get max offers. The New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers are expected to have an interest in the veteran, depending on how the offseason goes.

The Knicks are expected to sign Kevin Durant. New York would likely try to use their second max slot on Kyrie Irving, though Walker would be a fine option play to alongside Durant. The gap between Irving and Walker isn't that significant, especially when you consider Irving's injury history and how poorly he played this postseason.

The Lakers are shooting for the stars this offseason. The problem is they likely aren't going to be the top choice of any All-Star that’s set to hit the market. If Los Angeles misses out on the top players available, you can be sure that they will try to pair Walker with LeBron James.

Signing with the Lakers would certainly give Walker a better chance to win than staying with the Hornets. If the Knicks acquire another star, they would almost certainly present Walker with a better situation than Charlotte. Walker is also from New York City, making them even more of a potential fit for the former UConn star.

But it won't only be winning that Walker will have to consider. He has to weigh the amount of money he would be leaving on the table.

It's possible Charlotte won't offer Walker the full max, but there's a good chance the Hornets will present him with a much more lucrative deal than any other team.

Let's assume that Charlotte offers Walker the supermax. Passing on that deal would mean turning down $80 million guaranteed.

How much money could Walker sign for after his four-year max contract with a team like the Lakers or Knicks is up? Could he get $20 million for the 2023 - 2024 season as a 33-year-old? Such a scenario would ultimately cost Walker $60 million.

All of a sudden, Walker’s free agency has become that much more intriguing.