NBA Rumors: Bulls reportedly inquired about Kemba Walker trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Bulls' new front office is keeping us on our toes.
According to The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor in an interview on 93.7 WEEI FM in Boston, they asked the Celtics about a possible trade involving Kemba Walker:
That jibes with a recent report from ESPN's Jonathan Givony saying the Bulls have been in "active" discussions for a veteran guard. Bulls fans start your engines?
Not so fast. Here's the O'Connor's full quote, which provides necessary context:
"I heard Chicago asked about Kemba, I'm not sure there's really anything to that," he said. "And, Boston, Danny Ainge, he's never hesitated to listen about his players. We know that.
"With Kemba, I think you look at Boston's history with guys who have had injury issues (e.g. Isaiah Thomas), especially guys heavily reliant on their athleticism and their burst and their speed like Kemba is, I'm sure they would err on the side of caution with a guy like that. So it makes sense to listen to offers, but right now, as of 2:30 in the afternoon (ET) on Tuesday, there's no expectation of a deal. But these can always happen quickly."
Walker's age-30 season produced per-game averages of 20.4 points and 4.8 assists and an All-Star berth. He shot 38.1 percent on 8.4 3-point attempts per game and remains one of the most dangerous off-the-bounce scorers in the association.
But from the All-Star break on, nagging knee injuries hampered him -- ominous for the first season of a four-year max with Boston. Depending on the return, Walker would make the Bulls better, but that dynamic could make a potential trade a dicey proposition for a rebuilding squad.
Regardless, as O'Connor notes, it doesn't appear a deal is imminent or even likely at this point. Earlier in the interview, he reported that the Celtics were engaged in trade talks with the Pelicans about Jrue Holiday Monday evening, with a potential package of Gordon Hayward and their three first-round picks in the 2020 draft going back to New Orleans.
Holiday is now a Milwaukee Buck. And given The Athletic's Zach Harper's report that the Celtics were shopping Walker for additional assets to toss into a Holiday deal, it's entirely possible the window for trading the star guard has passed:
But also, maybe not. Who knows? One-week offseasons sure are something, eh?
