NBA Trade Rumors: Kemba Walker, Dwight Howard Available, Anthony Davis Staying

NBA trade rumors are heating up with the 2018 deadline now less than three weeks away. One prominent player is being shopped, while an All-Star that was previously thought to be available probably isn’t going anywhere.

The Charlotte Hornets are looking to trade Kemba Walker, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Wojnarowski also recently reported that the New Orleans Pelicans are very unlikely to deal Anthony Davis, despite rumors the power forward could wind up with the Boston Celtics.

The news regarding Walker is surprising, considering his production and contract. The point guard made last year’s All-Star team when he averaged a career-high 23.2 points per game, and he’s put up averages of 21.7 points, 5.8 assists and 3.4 rebounds in the 2017-2018 season. While the league’s top point guards have recently signed deals that will eventually pay them upwards of $40 million per year, Walker is set to earn just $12 million when his contract comes to an end next season.

Walker, 27, would likely be traded as part of a bigger deal if the Hornets ultimately decided to send him elsewhere. Charlotte has reportedly tried to unload the likes of Dwight Howard, Nicolas Batum, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, but other teams don’t want to take on their lucrative contracts.

Charlotte is quickly falling out of the playoff race, and they could be ready to start rebuilding. They are the Eastern Conference’s No.11 seed with an 18-25 record, sitting four games out of the final postseason spot. Charlotte finished last season 10 games below .500 and 11th in the East.

Perhaps New Orleans would’ve considered trading their best player if they struggled like Charlotte has, but the Pelicans are holding their own in the West. The No.7 seed Pelicans are only three games in the loss column behind the No.4 seed Minnesota Timberwolves, and they’ve got a real chance to win a playoff series with Davis and DeMarcus Cousins in the frontcourt.

Wojnarowski recently reported on ESPN Radio that there is no truth to rumors that Davis could be dealt to Boston. Cousins will be a free agent this summer, though New Orleans has plans of signing him to a long-term contract. Both Davis and Cousins were named as starters on the Western Conference All-Star Team.

Things might be different if the Pelicans had a losing record. Trading Davis for draft picks and younger players would likely mean that Cousins is headed elsewhere in the summer. New Orleans could get valuable assets in return for both big men to rebuild their franchise, but it looks like they will try to win with both All-Stars.

Davis and Cousins both rank in the top six in scoring and the top eight in rebounding.