Report: Kemba Walker, Knicks agree he's done for rest of season
Kemba Walker’s time with the New York Knicks is over.
Walker and the Knicks agreed to keep him sidelined for the rest of the season on Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Now, Walker will be able to work out and prepare for next season, which will almost certainly be played elsewhere.
The 31-year-old will be on an expiring contract this summer and is expected to be traded, per the report.
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 has averaged career-lows of 11.6 points and 3.5 assists in 37 games this season, his first in New York after spending the past two years with the Boston Celtics. He signed a two-year deal with the Knicks in August after a buyout with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Walker last played for the Knicks in their final game before the All-Star break, though he’s been in and out of their starting lineup all season. Walker was benched by Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau in November and completely removed from the rotation.
“This is the first time this has happened to me in my career, pretty much on any level,” Walker said in December of being benched. “But at the end of the day, I have respect for Coach Thibs and the decision he made. It might not have been an easy one, but it was a choice he made. I have no choice but to live with it.”
He did return later in December and had a few outstanding performances — including a 44-point outburst against the Washington Wizards and a historic triple-double on Christmas Day — but he’s clearly not doing enough for Thibodeau to keep him in the rotation.
So, the Knicks are moving on.
Thibodeau will now try to get the Knicks back on track after a brutal skid before the All-Star break. They lost 13 of their last 16 games before the break, and have fallen to the 12th seed in the Eastern Conference. Without Walker, the Knicks will likely turn to both Alec Burks and Derrick Rose, who is expected to return in the near future after an ankle injury.
