Sources: Cs/Kemba want a breakup (other sources contradict)

[Roy H.]

Who is that journalist? Never heard of em

Neither has Kemba’s cousin:

oon after reports that Boston starting point guard Kemba Walker and the Celtics were “likely to move forward” from their relationship this coming offseason, pushback began to bubble up from sources who would know the mind of the former UConn star.

One of them was his cousin Kedow Walker in fact, who tweeted his derision of the story published by Bleacher Report’s Farbod Esnaashari. He tweeted “[dang]nnn who in the camp nomore than me?? Man … these ppl really be bogus as hell” Wednesday afternoon, seemingly in response to the Bleacher Report story suggesting his brother Kemba and Boston mutually wanted a fresh start.

He would later tweet “the ppl can do or believe what they want. We gone stay solid like we ALWAYS been!!”

[arctic 3.0]

I really don’t care whether the story is accurate.
Kemba is moving to a new stage in his career.
He may not be prime, but he can still put it in the bucket.
Make him the 6th man/microwave scorer off the bench.
So what if he’s paid to much for that role. He’ll help us win games. Not something you can guarantee his replacement would do if we sold low now. (And that will help us regain status as a team other stars want to play for.)

[Kuberski33]

I think the problem is that Kemba the contract is an impediment to a lot of moves that people would like to see to change the roster up. So if you're not particularly happy about the prospect of running it back with the same squad next year, it's logical that you'd want Kemba to be shipped out.

In other words: it's not the player, it's the contract.

The title-town chest-beating isn't worth anyone's time, though. Personally, I try to appreciate the good players while they're here rather than trying to play armchair GM.

Yeah, but the contract is in place, as is the structural issues of the teams salary cap. It will be very difficulty for the C's to get out from under this contract AND obtain the ability to reuse the money on someone else. The C's would have to gut the team to reach a point where they could shed Kemba and then sign a free agent. Other strategies are possible but all have problems. All require a fortuitous offer from another team or teams.

The main problem with Kemba is that he is just a scorer, and he matches up very poorly with Marcus Smart.

The team needs passing and creating. It needs a power forward desperately. In the right combination, it would be fine keeping Kemba for 2 years. But if you want to keep Kemba, you cannot keep Smart, and you have to get players in that can make this work.

This all points to the team having to get worse before it gets better. This is going to be a tough pill for many to swallow but it seems to be the most logical way to move forward - assuming that they can deal him.

Bad knees on older players never improve - they only get worse.  Doesn't mean he can't be productive, but there are the issues of fit and flexiblity with that contract.

I don't think it's impossible to move forward with him on the roster, but they have to figure out how to get more ball movement into the team.  Say they bring in Rubio. Do you want Rubio and Kemba as your starting back court?  And PP as #3?  Forget about improving your already lousy defense.  Which means that once again, you're not beating anyone who's good.

[Timdawgg]

I saw this article today...it proposed a really interesting trade and could make some sense. I would have thought this is a Celtics slanted article but its from the Lakers side....but I can see the Lakers doing this...thoughts?

https://lakeshowlife.com/2021/06/10/los-angeles-lakers-rumors-kemba-walker-trade-boston-celtics/3/

LAKERS GET
KEMBA WALKER

CELTICS GET
DENNIS SCHRODER
KYLE KUZMA
FUTURE SECOND-ROUND PICK

[Goldstar88]

I saw this article today...it proposed a really interesting trade and could make some sense. I would have thought this is a Celtics slanted article but its from the Lakers side....but I can see the Lakers doing this...thoughts?

https://lakeshowlife.com/2021/06/10/los-angeles-lakers-rumors-kemba-walker-trade-boston-celtics/3/

LAKERS GET
KEMBA WALKER

CELTICS GET
DENNIS SCHRODER
KYLE KUZMA
FUTURE SECOND-ROUND PICK

Sign me up for that.

[Celtics2021]

I saw this article today...it proposed a really interesting trade and could make some sense. I would have thought this is a Celtics slanted article but its from the Lakers side....but I can see the Lakers doing this...thoughts?

https://lakeshowlife.com/2021/06/10/los-angeles-lakers-rumors-kemba-walker-trade-boston-celtics/3/

LAKERS GET
KEMBA WALKER

CELTICS GET
DENNIS SCHRODER
KYLE KUZMA
FUTURE SECOND-ROUND PICK

Sign me up for that.

Schroeder is a free agent and a sign-and-trade would subject us to the hard cap, costing us Fournier.  Also, I’d rather have Kemba.

[Diggles]

"This all points to the team having to get worse before it gets better. This is going to be a tough pill for many to swallow but it seems to be the most logical way to move forward - assuming that they can deal him."

So who ever said this. Must have forgot it what last year was with a hurt team.   

[BruceBanner18]

Per Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix:

"The Celtics front office was looking for a way to get out from under that contract, and ultimately were not able to do that despite having conversations with multiple teams over the last several months. I was told they discussed a deal involving Kemba Walker and LaMarcus Aldridge when Aldridge was still in San Antonio. Primarily because Aldridge was on the last year of his contract, whereas Kemba Walker has two years currently and about $76 million remaining on this contract. That frustrated Kemba Walker ... so for Kemba to hear his name and understand his name was in trade rumors, that absolutely has frustrated him over the last six to eight months."

[Goldstar88]

Per Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix:

"The Celtics front office was looking for a way to get out from under that contract, and ultimately were not able to do that despite having conversations with multiple teams over the last several months. I was told they discussed a deal involving Kemba Walker and LaMarcus Aldridge when Aldridge was still in San Antonio. Primarily because Aldridge was on the last year of his contract, whereas Kemba Walker has two years currently and about $76 million remaining on this contract. That frustrated Kemba Walker ... so for Kemba to hear his name and understand his name was in trade rumors, that absolutely has frustrated him over the last six to eight months."

So is Mannix lying as well? We still haven’t heard Kemba say that the reports are false. Seems pretty telling to me...

[footey]

Per Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix:

"The Celtics front office was looking for a way to get out from under that contract, and ultimately were not able to do that despite having conversations with multiple teams over the last several months. I was told they discussed a deal involving Kemba Walker and LaMarcus Aldridge when Aldridge was still in San Antonio. Primarily because Aldridge was on the last year of his contract, whereas Kemba Walker has two years currently and about $76 million remaining on this contract. That frustrated Kemba Walker ... so for Kemba to hear his name and understand his name was in trade rumors, that absolutely has frustrated him over the last six to eight months."

So is Mannix lying as well? We still haven’t heard Kemba say that the reports are false. Seems pretty telling to me...

Did this just come out, or was this reported a while back?  Not sure I trust Mannix as a source. Stick to boxing.

[BruceBanner18]

Per Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix:

"The Celtics front office was looking for a way to get out from under that contract, and ultimately were not able to do that despite having conversations with multiple teams over the last several months. I was told they discussed a deal involving Kemba Walker and LaMarcus Aldridge when Aldridge was still in San Antonio. Primarily because Aldridge was on the last year of his contract, whereas Kemba Walker has two years currently and about $76 million remaining on this contract. That frustrated Kemba Walker ... so for Kemba to hear his name and understand his name was in trade rumors, that absolutely has frustrated him over the last six to eight months."

So is Mannix lying as well? We still haven’t heard Kemba say that the reports are false. Seems pretty telling to me...

Did this just come out, or was this reported a while back?  Not sure I trust Mannix as a source. Stick to boxing.

https://mobile.twitter.com/NBCSCeltics/status/1402757572155805702?s=20

[Goldstar88]

Per Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix:

"The Celtics front office was looking for a way to get out from under that contract, and ultimately were not able to do that despite having conversations with multiple teams over the last several months. I was told they discussed a deal involving Kemba Walker and LaMarcus Aldridge when Aldridge was still in San Antonio. Primarily because Aldridge was on the last year of his contract, whereas Kemba Walker has two years currently and about $76 million remaining on this contract. That frustrated Kemba Walker ... so for Kemba to hear his name and understand his name was in trade rumors, that absolutely has frustrated him over the last six to eight months."

So is Mannix lying as well? We still haven’t heard Kemba say that the reports are false. Seems pretty telling to me...

Did this just come out, or was this reported a while back?  Not sure I trust Mannix as a source. Stick to boxing.

It’s from last night. Mannix has covered the Celtics for a while now.. here’s more of what he had to say:

“The Danny Ainge-led front office has been looking at possibilities of trading Kemba dating back to the end of last season’s bubble experience. From what I told, the Ainge front office saw kind of the writing on the wall in a way with Kemba Walker when it came to his knee. Remember, the knee injury which occurred, I believe in late January of 2020, it was still lingering in the bubble. This is after months and months of being off, and I think the Celtics front office was looking for a way to get out from under that contract. They ultimately were not able to do it despite having conversations with multiple teams over the last several months…

“That frustrated Kemba Walker. Kemba is among the most loyal guys you’re going to find in professional sports. Like, he would still be a Charlotte Hornet if Charlotte had stepped up to the plate during his free agency and made him the highest offer. It wasn’t about going to Boston to chase a championship for Kemba, there was a lot more money on the table. So for Kemba to hear his name and understand his name was in trade rumors, that absolutely has frustrated him over the last six to eight months.”

[Roy H.]

Per Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix:

"The Celtics front office was looking for a way to get out from under that contract, and ultimately were not able to do that despite having conversations with multiple teams over the last several months. I was told they discussed a deal involving Kemba Walker and LaMarcus Aldridge when Aldridge was still in San Antonio. Primarily because Aldridge was on the last year of his contract, whereas Kemba Walker has two years currently and about $76 million remaining on this contract. That frustrated Kemba Walker ... so for Kemba to hear his name and understand his name was in trade rumors, that absolutely has frustrated him over the last six to eight months."

So is Mannix lying as well? We still haven’t heard Kemba say that the reports are false. Seems pretty telling to me...

Mannix seems like a good enough guy, but I'm not sure that he's ever broken a Celtics-related story.  Like almost all "insiders", he simply gives his opinion mixed with educated guessing, and masks it as if it's from legitimate sources.

[gouki88]

Who is that journalist? Never heard of em

Neither has Kemba’s cousin:

oon after reports that Boston starting point guard Kemba Walker and the Celtics were “likely to move forward” from their relationship this coming offseason, pushback began to bubble up from sources who would know the mind of the former UConn star.

One of them was his cousin Kedow Walker in fact, who tweeted his derision of the story published by Bleacher Report’s Farbod Esnaashari. He tweeted “[dang]nnn who in the camp nomore than me?? Man … these ppl really be bogus as hell” Wednesday afternoon, seemingly in response to the Bleacher Report story suggesting his brother Kemba and Boston mutually wanted a fresh start.

He would later tweet “the ppl can do or believe what they want. We gone stay solid like we ALWAYS been!!”

Now I'm confused

[Ogaju]

Please put all the Kemba threads in one thread. They are polluting the board.