Does latest Kemba Walker news mean Knicks-Mavericks trade will happen?
On Friday, the Mavericks waived former New York Knicks point guard Kemba Walker, who signed with Dallas on Nov. 29. Walker played in only nine games for the Mavericks and averaged eight points during his brief stint in Texas.
Walker was waived because if he had remained on the roster through Jan. 7, his 1.3 non-guaranteed contract would’ve become guaranteed. Since the Knicks signed Kemba off waivers in August of 2021, the 32-year-old guard has been on three teams (New York, Detroit, Dallas).
Walker being waived by the Mavericks isn’t surprising, however, it does increase the chances of Derrick Rose being traded to Dallas. The Mavericks are still in need of a playmaker outside of Luka Doncic and with Rose not having a secure spot in Tom Thibodeau’s rotation, the former MVP’s time in New York is likely coming to a close.
In early December, Fox Sports NBA Analyst Ric Bucher reported that Dallas was interested in trading for Rose. Now that it’s been made official that Kemba is no longer a Maverick, Dallas’s front office needs to call New York if that hasn’t been done already.
Kemba Walker being waived increases chances of Knicks trading Derrick Rose to Mavericks
Before Kemba Walker played in a game for the Mavericks, GM Nico Harrison said that his knee was “not good” but that it was the best that Walker felt about his nagging knee injury in the last two years. Shortly after making his debut with Dallas on Dec. 10, Walker was forced to miss a couple of games because of his knee. Ultimately, it seems as if his availability played a big role in why the Mavericks chose to waive him.
While Derrick Rose’s career has also been plagued by injuries, he entered the 2022-23 season healthy after playing in only 26 games in 2021-22. He’s missed a few games this season due to a toe injury and a left knee contusion, but neither were serious.
With the Knicks signing Jalen Brunson over the summer as well as increasing playing time for Quentin Grimes, Immanuel Quickley, and Miles McBride, New York doesn’t need Rose, who has a $15.6 million club option in 2023-24.
The Feb. 9 deadline is a little over a month away and given the Knicks’ history of sending players to the Mavericks, Derrick Rose could soon be making the move to Dallas.
