Kemba Walker has experienced a disappointed homecoming in New York this season. The former All-Star is still away from the Knicks practicing alone, per New York Post.
He splits his time between Charlotte and New York. The Knicks came to an agreement with the player to work their way to a trade in the offseason.
“He’s away from the team,’’ Knicks HC Tom Thibodeau said. “And that was agreed upon. Our management, his agent and Kemba, we just felt that was the best way to handle it.’’
Knee injuries derailed Walker’s career after becoming an All-Star during his time with the Charlotte Hornets.
Walker signed a two-year worth of $17.9 million with the Knicks last offseason. The NY franchise was hoping to see the veteran guard healthy to help with the team’s lack of shot creation.
Cardiac Kemba was once again struggled with injuries, while, he did not earn the trust of head coach Tom Thibodeau.
Walker will be an expiring contract entering the offseason. This could mean that the Knicks might find a willing team to trade for him.
The second option will be for the two sides to work on a buyout, which will result in Walker hitting the free agency.
In that case, the Hornets could enter the conversation concerning the return of the veteran guard to Charlotte.
Walker can definitely fill in the backup point guard minutes behind Terry Rozier and LaMelo Ball. However, the Hornets drafted James Booknight—an exciting young guard prospect—in the previous draft.
The rookie guard appeared sporadically this season in 28 NBA games averaging 5.0 points in 10 minutes per contest. The Hornets even signed Isaiah Thomas to a second 10-day contract to fill in the role of the veteran presence in the backcourt.
Walker could become that presence if he joins the team in a potential cheap deal. The Hornets are a perennial playoff team sitting at .500 with a 35-35 record this season.
They will advance to the play-in tournament as part of the four-team group between 7th and 10th seed. The Hornets are 9th in the East after a huge win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.
Charlotte went on to a rebuild after Walker joined the Boston Celtics back in 2019. Three seasons later, the 4-time All-Star could be an option for a young team like Charlotte searching for more veteran assertion in the roster.
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