Yet another disappointing season for the Charlotte Hornets came to a conclusion with a 119-93 win over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday. Charlotte finished the season with a 36-46 record, missing out on the playoffs for a second consecutive year.
The backdrop of this is the team’s decision to hire former Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak in the same role (more on that here).
It’s now rather obvious that Charlotte will head into the summer preparing for wholesale roster changes and the potential ousting of head coach Steve Clifford. In talking about this and whole lot more, All-Star guard Kemba Walker openly questions whether he fits into Charlotte’s long-term plans.
“I have no idea,” Walker said Wednesday, via USA Today Sports. “That is out of my control. I am just going to focus on getting better as a player. That is really all you can do. I don’t know what they are going to do.”
Walker, 27, was the subject of trade rumors heading into February’s deadline. He acts as a major chip for Kupchak and Co. moving forward, one that could bring a nice haul in terms of draft picks and young players. This season saw Walker average 22.1 points and 5.6 assists while shooting 38 percent from distance.
Though, he’s seen as a defensive liability. With Kupchak now calling the shots, that’s going to be a central focus for Charlotte moving forward. This will definitely be something to watch once the offseason gets going.