Shortly after Kemba Walker suited up for the New York Knicks on Feb. 16, the two sides agreed that the 31-year-old guard would sit out for the remainder of the year. Walker could’ve been a buyout candidate, but he opted to prepare for the 2022-23 season over joining a title contender.
Walker was drafted by the Bobcats in 2011 (now the Hornets) and spent eight years in Charlotte before signing a four-year, $141 max contract with Boston ahead of the 2019-20 season.
In June of 2021, Walker was traded to Oklahoma City and the two sides agreed to a buyout, which allowed for the Knicks to claim him off waivers. He signed a two-year, $17.9 million contract, yet he most likely won’t be on the team beyond this season.
He’s still on the roster, although he’s not with the team. Marc Berman of the New York Post reported that according to an NBA source, Walker’s been training in Charlotte (where his mother still lives) and NYC. Is he going to reunite with his former team this summer?
Kemba Walker has been rehabbing away from the team, while going back and forth from Charlotte to New York.
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 18, 2022
The Hornets could be a “future destination” for Walker in the off-season, via @NYPost_Berman. pic.twitter.com/q5gPmdpJ4R
New York Knicks guard Kemba Walker has been training in Charlotte.
Since Walker left the Hornets, the organization drafted point guard LaMelo Ball with the third overall pick of the 2020 draft. Ball was named the 2020-21 Rookie of the Year and earned his first All-Star nod this season.
Charlotte has its franchise point guard, but that doesn’t mean that the Hornets don’t have room for Walker on the bench as a backup.
Currently, Terry Rozier is the point guard for the second unit and Charlotte signed Isaiah Thomas for the rest of the year after he had previously signed two 10-day contracts.
The need is there and Walker, the Hornets’ franchise all-time scorer, would be a good fit for Charlotte at this point in his career. He’s still capable of being a contributor on the court.
In the 43 games that the guard played in for the Celtics last year, he averaged 19.3 points and 4.9 assists. He shot 42% from the field and 36% from the 3-point line.
This season, Walker averaged 11.6 points, 3.5 assists, and shot 40.3% from the floor and 36.7% from beyond the arc in 37 contests. He dropped a season-high 44 points (14-of-27), nine rebounds, and eight assists against the Wizards on Dec. 23.
Kemba Walker turned in a vintage performance last night 🔥
— NBABet (@nbabet) December 24, 2021
✅ 44 points | Over 17.5
✅ 7-14 3PT | Over 2.5 3PM pic.twitter.com/GHx9g7c6H2
As Berman wrote, the “likeliest scenario is the Knicks trading Walker’s expiring contract in a deal on draft night in late June.”
Although his stint in New York didn’t work out, Walker has the potential to be a solid bench player for another team. Don’t be surprised if Cardiac Kemba ends up back where it all started.
Knicks rumors: B/R proposes Kemba Walker/Cam Reddish trade for former No. 1 draft pick
A recent Bleacher Report mock trade article, in which Kemba Walker and Cam Reddish are exchanged for Markelle Fultz, is concerning for the New York Knicks.