Knicks Trade Rumors: Designing an ideal Kemba Walker trade

The New York Knicks have been linked to Charlotte Hornets star Kemba Walker. Working within the parameters we’ve been given, what would be an ideal trade?

Reports recently surfaced that linked the New York Knicks to Charlotte Hornets star Kemba Walker. The response was inevitable, as fans and writers—myself included—took the bait and dove head first into the possibility of trading for an All-Star point guard in the prime of his career.

The one question that was often left unanswered during that process, however, was the most important question of all: How exactly would a deal be structured?

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN broke the news that Charlotte is actively shopping its franchise point guard. It was inevitable that Walker, a New York City native, would be tied to the Knicks, but the circumstances were undeniably surprising.

According to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, the Hornets would like to make contact with the Knicks and negotiate a potential trade for Walker.

"The Charlotte Hornets would like [to] engage the Knicks on trade discussions involving All-Star point guard Kemba Walker but New York and Charlotte haven’t yet had substantive discussions about a trade involving Walker, per league sources."

Begley is both reliable and respected as far as doing his diligence before reporting anonymously sourced information is concerned.

There could be any number of explanations for the Hornets’ interest in wanting to negotiate with the Knicks. It’s equally as plausible that Charlotte is interested in one of New York’s assets as it is that, if or when Rich Cho and Michael Jordan asked Walker where he wants to be traded to, his hometown Knicks made the cut.

Regardless of what the reason is, a question must be answered in order to determine the best course of action: What would a mutually beneficial trade for Kemba Walker look like?