Kemba Walker will become the third player this year, who willingly sidelines himself alongside Ben Simmons and John Wall.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, both sides agreed and came to this decision. The four-time All-Star will be allowed to prepare for the 2022-23 season.
“We fully support Kemba’s decision to shut it down for the remainder of the season and use this time to prepare for next season. His long-term success on the court remains our priority,” Knicks president Leon Rose said in an official statement.
Walker will be on an expiring contract this summer and that’ll offer an opportunity for the Knicks and his agent Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports to work on trade scenarios in the offseason. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 23, 2022
Walker signed a two-year deal with the franchise the previous offseason. A New-York native, Walker was elated to join the Knicks. However, the partnership was not ideal, with a great amount of ups and downs.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau dropped Walker from the Knicks’ playing rotation in mid-November, after he averaged 11.7 points in the team’s first 18 games. He returned to the rotation later in the season due to injuries and COVID-19.
Walker moved in and out of the rotation during January because of knee soreness that kept the veteran guard sidelined for several games.
He has career averages of 19.5 points, 5.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 741 games. He was averaging 11.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists through 37 games this year.
Walker will be on an expiring contract after the summer, making it easier for New York to include him in a trade.
The former All-Star guard spent his first eight seasons with the Charlotte Hornets. He then got traded to the Boston Celtics via a sign-and-trade deal. He remained in Boston for two seasons before moving again to Oklahoma City last year.
Photo: Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports
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