The Celtics are reportedly close to landing All-Star Kemba Walker and it would create a domino effect felt across the NBA free agency

Tyler Lauletta

Jun 27, 2019, 20:34 IST

The Celtics are reportedly close to landing All-Star Kemba Walker and it would create a domino effect felt across the NBA free agency

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

The Celtics have emerged as a surprising suitor for Hornets guard Kemba Walker, and if it happens the ripple effects will be felt throughout the NBA.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Boston Celtics have emerged as the favorites to sign All-Star guard Kemba Walker at the start of NBA free agency.
Should the deal take place, Walker's move would have ripple effects across the league, with teams like the Lakers and Knicks looking to regroup after missing out on his services.
The deal is not yet official, and there's still plenty of time for things to change, but Walker's move to Boston could prove to be the first domino to fall in a wild summer of free agency.
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NBA free agency doesn't officially being until Sunday, but teams across the league are already jockeying for position to sign the superstars on the market.

On Thursday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski dropped the first of what should be many "Woj Bombs" to come - the Boston Celtics have emerged as the favorites to sign Hornets All-Star guard Kemba Walker.

"Walker is expected to be offered a four-year, $141 million contract to sign with the Celtics when free agency opens Sunday at 6 PM ET," Wojnarowski wrote. "A deal that he's increasingly likely to accept, league sources said."

Walker is eligible for a super-max deal with the Hornets being named to an All-Pro list this past season and had also been rumored as a potential third piece to join LeBron James and Anthony Davis in a new "Big 3" for the Lakers.

Should Wojnarowski's report play out, Walker would now instead be heading to Boston, filling in for Kyrie Irving, who is all but guaranteed to be leaving the team in the offseason.

Walker's move to the Celtics would cause ripple effects throughout the league. First and foremost, it would leave the Hornets in full rebuilding mode, without a superstar to build talent around or market to fans. It would also give the Celtics an impressive foursome of Walker, Gordon Hayward, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown that could make a run for the Eastern Conference title.

But beyond the two teams directly involved, Walker being taken off the market has huge ramifications for the other teams that might have thought they had a shot at landing the 29-year-old All-Star guard.

The Lakers are still in need of a backcourt, and might now be pushed to try and bring D'Angelo Russell back from the Brooklyn or even convince Irving to team with LeBron again after their days together in Cleveland.

The Knicks, whose big plans for the offseason have appeared to crumble in recent weeks, would have to regroup yet again and see if there's any other player worthy of a max deal interested in coming to New York.

Whatever moves the Lakers and Knicks make in response to Walker's signing in Boston would then, in turn, create even wider repercussions for more and more teams as the chaotic opening days of free agency played out.

Of course, none of this is official yet, and there is still plenty of time for things to change - one thing we know about Woj Bombs is there's always another one coming soon. But if the Celtics do sign Walker at the start of free agency, it could prove to be the first domino to fall in a wild summer of moves.