Over the summer, the New York Knicks signed Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $104 million contract in free agency. Brunson didn’t meet with his former team ahead of agreeing to sign with the Knicks, which has since led to the organization being investigated for tampering.
The Mavericks could’ve signed Brunson to a four-year, $55.6 million deal ahead of the 2021-22 season, but Dallas opted to not do that. In retrospect, that worked out for Brunson, who was able to nearly double that amount with the contract that he signed the following offseason. However, the Mavericks let the point guard walk for nothing.
And now, Dallas is reportedly going to sign a former New York point guard to help bolster the team’s backcourt. Kemba Walker signed a two-year deal, $18 million deal with the Knicks in 2021, but what was supposed to be a glorious homecoming quickly turned into a disaster. He played in only 37 games last season before both sides agreed that it’d be best for him to sit out for the remainder of the year.
New York traded Walker to Detroit on draft night, and after failing to trade the veteran guard, the Pistons waived him on Oct. 17. Nearly a month and a half later, the Mavericks have emerged as Walker’s next team.
The Dallas Mavericks plan to sign Kemba Walker and waive Facundo Campazzo, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 28, 2022
Former Knicks point guard Kemba Walker plans to sign with Mavericks
With Luka Doncic being one of the frontrunners to win MVP, Dallas is trying to add some help for the 23-year-old. One of the Mavericks’ most glaring needs is another playmaker, which is what has led Walker to his first Western Conference team.
Once the Walker signing becomes official, Dallas will have five former New York players on the roster. Along with Kemba, there’s Reggie Bullock, Tim Hardaway Jr., Frank Ntilikina, and none other than Theo Pinson. Although Kristaps Porzingis was dealt to the Wizards back in February, we can’t forget that the Knicks traded him to the Mavericks in 2019.
There’s a pipeline that goes from New York to Dallas, and even though Walker made a pit stop in Detroit, the Pistons never planned to keep him. The 32-year-old last played in a game on Feb. 16 when he scored nine points in 21 minutes in the Knicks’ loss to the Nets.
Kemba’s career in New York didn’t play out as expected but hopefully, he’ll be able to find success in Dallas. Depending on when the signing becomes official, Walker may be on the bench for the Mavericks this weekend when New York hosts Dallas. His first task will be getting back into shape to play, though. Best of luck, Kemba.
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