Kemba Walker undergoes third surgery on left knee
By Adam Mankuta
The Charlotte Hornets announced earlier today that star point guard Kemba Walker has undergone a successful minor arthroscopic procedure on his left knee.
Walker had a strong individual season but his Charlotte Hornets missed the playoffs.2016-17 marked the first time Walker made the All-Star team, as he averaged a career high 23.2 points to go along with 5.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals in close to 35 minutes per game. Despite the recovery time only being approximately six weeks, there is cause for concern as this is the third such procedure Walker has had to endure on his left knee within the last three years.
With the recurring injuries to his left knee an issue, the Hornets will need to solidify the backup point guard spot for next season following the less than stellar play of Ramon Sessions last year. While the unrestricted, backup point guard market could potentially yield a Patty Mills, Shaun Livingston, Brandon Jennings or Sergio Rodriguez via their mid-level exception, the Hornets are over the cap. Thus, they are likely to to explore the trade market and look for a team such as the Bulls (assuming Rajon Rondo returns) or the Grizzlies (who are loaded with young talent behind Mike Conley), for a partner.
Another route would be the Draft. While many mock draft sites predict the Hornets taking a big to solidify their front line, maybe they are lucky and have a stud-athletic freak like Hamidou Diallo fall into their lap. With so many talented young guards available in this years rookie class, maybe one slips to the Hornets and they snag them in the middle of the first round.
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From a fantasy hoops perspective, until we see Walker to return to full health in training camp and provide some confidence that the latest procedure was a success, we would drop him down a round or two in any early fall drafts.