The Reason Kemba Walker Might Take Less Money to Stay With Charlotte Will Drive You Nuts

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Since entering the league in 2011, Kemba Walker has done an admirable job as the face of the Charlotte Hornets. He signed a four-year deal worth $48 million in 2015, but has really outperformed that contract recently, averaging 25.6 points per game (PPG) last season en route to his second consecutive All-Star appearance.

The fact that Kemba has been so good in recent seasons might lead you to believe that he's going to try and get as much money as he can on the open market. However, that may not be the case, as some reports are indicating that Walker would be willing to take less money to remain in Charlotte.

And the reason he'd potentially leave money on the table will likely make you shake your head.

If Kemba chose to take less money from the Hornets, all it would do is lighten the load via luxury tax on Michael Jordan's wallet. That's right, MJ. It would save arguably the GOAT a couple million dollars. And while that's a huge number for most NBA fans, that's pocket change for Jordan. Plus, as ESPN's Rachel Nichols eloquently points out, there's almost no chance that another legitimate All-Star is coming to Charlotte this summer, and that should be the one and only reason Walker takes less.

Considering Kemba has played eight seasons in Charlotte surrounded by middling talent, at best, on a deal well below market value, he doesn't owe the Hornets anything.

At the end of the day, it's Kemba's decision. But taking less money to help the Hornets and MJ avoid the luxury tax seems misguided.

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Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.