Report: Kemba planning to join Celtics on 4-year, $141M max contract

Kemba Walker joining the Boston Celtics appears to be all but a done deal.

The three-time All-Star point guard will commit to a four-year, $141-million max contract with Boston after free agency begins Sunday, sources told The Athletic's Shams Charania.

Walker will travel to meet with Celtics officials for the opening of free agency at 6 p.m. ET, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The contract is the largest Walker can sign with a team other than the Charlotte Hornets. It was reported Thursday that Walker and the only NBA franchise he's ever known had reached a stalemate due to sizable gaps in negotiations. Charlotte could offer Walker the five-year, $221-million maximum contract allowed under the CBA.

The news almost assuredly puts an end to Kyrie Irving's tenure with the Celtics amid reports linking him to the Brooklyn Nets.

Walker, 29, has played eight seasons in Charlotte and would leave the Hornets as the franchise's all-time leader in total points, minutes, field goals, and win shares. The team is considering free-agent options such as Elfrid Payton, T.J. McConnell, Ish Smith, and Emmanuel Mudiay to replace Walker, sources told Wojnarowski.