Kemba Walker, Hornets Agree on New Contract: Latest Details and Reaction

What Michael Jordan wants, Michael Jordan gets. Hours after the Charlotte Hornets owner told reporters he wanted to sign point guard Kemba Walker to an extension before Friday's midnight deadline, the deal is done.

ESPN's Marc Stein reported the Hornets and Walker agreed on a four-year, $48 million pact Tuesday evening:

Stein did not indicate whether either side has an early opt-out clause. Walker, 24, is entering the last year of his rookie contract. The NBA draft class of 2011 and their teams have until midnight Halloween night to agree on a long-term contract. Those who don't reach an agreement by then will become restricted free agents next summer.   

Jordan, who has made himself more present in his ownership role than ever before over the last 24 hours, told Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer he preferred an extension over the restricted free agency route.

“I’d much rather get Kemba done before the season starts,” Jordan said. “Ultimately that’s what I intend to accomplish. We’re in real conversations. I’m hopeful. Really hopeful.”

The ninth overall pick in 2011, Walker's first three seasons have been a mixed bag. While he's shown deft driving skills and is a solid defender for his size, decision-making and finishing on drives remain problems. Walker is a career 39.8 percent shooter, a number that dipped down to 39.3 percent in 2013-14 after a promising bump in his second season.

Others guards (e.g. Damian Lillard) have been able to maintain their value despite a low field-goal percentage thanks to their three-point proficiency. Walker isn't quite there in that regard, either, making 32.2 percent of his threes for his career with minimal year-to-year improvement.

Size discrepancies have also limited his effectiveness near the rim. Walker shot 48.9 percent inside the restricted area last season, which put him in a class with the NBA's worst among high-usage players, per NBA.com. There was at least a small school of thought that Charlotte may allow Walker to hit restricted free agency next summer, hoping to get another year's sample before deciding how to proceed.

Ned Dishman/Getty Images

However, with a rebrand back to the Hornets logo and coming off a promising playoff berth, Jordan clearly does not want this team to take a step back. Walker should be under far less pressure as an off-the-dribble creator this season after Charlotte's surprise Lance Stephenson signing. Stephenson's presence should help Walker make strides as a spot-up shooter and allow him to avoid defending bigger guards.

At $12 million per season, the Hornets are investing an eye-popping number in Walker. He'll have the same per-year salary as Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry, who was a borderline All-Star candidate. Walker was nowhere near Lowry's stratosphere last season. But with the salary cap due to skyrocket over the next couple years, Charlotte may be getting in at the bottom floor of a massive salary spike.

Either way, expect this move to generate some polarizing opinions.

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