Knicks guard Kemba Walker will sit out rest of season
NEW YORK - Homecoming is officially over. And it was bullshit.
Sources confirmed on Wednesday that Kemba Walker has locked himself in for the remainder of the Knicks season as both sides are pushing for a transfer.
The Bronx-bred 33-year-old Walker has struggled since agreeing to a two-year, $18 million deal and may have seen his minutes cut further after Derrick Rose returns from ankle surgery. It is unlikely that the Knicks and Walker, who have been dealing with an arthritic knee relapse, will agree to a buyout before the March 1 deadline, meaning he will enter into an expiring contract next season. .
The Knicks, who unsuccessfully tried to trade Walker earlier this month, will have an easier time dealing with or buying Walker in the summer, when he is only guaranteed $9 million.
Either way, his Knicks career is probably over.
"We fully support Kemba's decision to call off for the rest of the season and use this time to prepare for next season," the Knicks said in a statement. "His long-term success on the court remains our priority."
The sudden departure means the Knicks can continue to pursue their youth, with minutes allotted for Quentin Grimes and Emmanuel Quickley. He is the first casualty of a gruesome Knicks season that left him 12th in the East at the All-Star break.
Walker's signing was touted as providing the Knicks with the high upsides of a four-time All-Star. There was also a human interest element of a home NYC playground star returning to his stomping ground, which the Knicks played with an intro video featuring "A Bronx Tale" star Chase Palminari.
But the point guard's knee couldn't hold up and he lost much of the explosiveness from his days at Charlotte. He averaged career lows in points (11.6), minutes (25.6), assists (3.5) and rebounds (3.0). Most importantly, the Knicks were outscored by 182 points with Walker on the court. He finished with a -9.1 net rating, the worst in the team.
Coach Tom Thibodeau surprisingly cut Walker from the rotation in only 20 games in the season, claiming he's not ready to play the veteran unless he's starting out. But a COVID-19 breakout in December forced Thibodeau to give Walker his starting job back, and Walker was in and out of the lineup, managing his knee pain.
In his last public remarks as a Nike before the trade deadline, Walker expressed disappointment over his diminished role.
