Threats to sign Kemba Walker away from the Charlotte Hornets this summer? Place this team at the top of your list:
The Dallas Mavericks.
Two sources with knowledge of the Mavericks’ thinking expect Walker, the Hornets’ three-time All-Star point guard, to be that team’s top target when NBA free-agency begins July 1.
Although the Mavericks are only 27-39 this season — second-worst record in the Western Conference — they will have both the salary-cap flexibility to offer a free agent a maximum contract this summer and an appealing future to pitch with abundant young talent on the roster.