Going into the 2021 offseason, most New York Knicks fans had a handful of point guard options they’d have liked to see come aboard but nobody had Kemba Walker coming home to NYC. That’s what made the signing so magical.
Unfortunately, even after a 5-1 start to the new season, the magic that was bringing the hometown hero back to play in The Garden ran out. Walker proved to be a shell of his former self and had a hard time meshing with the rest of the team on the court.
Walker’s always been a defensive liability but he more than made up for it in other ways for the majority of his career. It seems as if he’s on the last leg of his prestigious NBA career.
The Knicks decided shortly before returning from the All-Star break that they’d be shutting the guard down for the rest of the season, thus affirmatively ending his tenure in New York. Strangely enough, Walker turned down the option of a buyout and signing with a contender.
I’m not sure if this has to do with his ego not allowing him to take a backup role with a playoff team or if it’s purely about the money and not wanting to take a pay cut.
3 offseason Kemba Walker trades the New York Knicks should consider
So, this is what brings us to the topic of today’s article. The Knicks need to make substantial moves this offseason if they plan on improving at all. Not only do they have to find consistent minutes for players like Quentin Grimes and Cam Reddish, but they’re also going to have a lottery pick that they’ll have to find a spot for as well.
The front office is going to spend the time between now and the offseason trying to find new homes for several players on the current roster. The most obvious player in need of a trade is, of course, Walker.
The problem New York is going to face is that a lot of the guys who were brought back on extensions last year have less trade value than they had before they were re-signed. Moving on from some of the veterans on the team may prove to be a difficult task.
At this point, the Knicks would have a hard time getting even just a 2022 second-rounder in exchange for one year of Walker. Therefore, they’re going to have to get creative.
Here I’ll be exploring 3 realistic trades that the Knicks can consider this offseason for Walker as well as some of the veterans that I’m sure the front office would like to move off from.