Getty Evan Fournier (left) and Kemba Walker of the New York Knicks.
The New York Knicks parted ways with Kemba Walker via trade in the offseason in order to clear salary cap to sign Dallas Mavericks point guard Jalen Brunson.
The Knicks’ plan worked because Brunson has been worth every penny. The Mavericks have been struggling to fill the void left behind by him, but they might’ve found a fit in Walker.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Walker and the Mavericks are on the verge of reaching an agreement.
“The Dallas Mavericks plan to sign Kemba Walker and waive Facundo Campazzo, sources tell The Athletic and Stadium,” he tweeted on November 28.
The Dallas Mavericks plan to sign Kemba Walker and waive Facundo Campazzo, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
Walker has been waiting to sign with a team ever since the Detroit Pistons waived him before the start of the season.
Kemba Had a Rough Year
Walker signed with the Knicks in August 2021 to fill a hole at point guard, but he struggled mightily in New York, scoring a career-low 11.6 points per game in a career-low 37 appearances. He found himself removed from the rotation twice, with the second benching, in February, signifying the end of his playing time in New York.
At this stage in his career, he’s likely best in a bench role where he can come in and provide scoring, and there’s no reason to believe he can’t still provide that. Injuries have started to plague him more and more, so heavy minutes seem like a recipe for disaster for him.
In 37 games with the Knicks last season, all starts, he averaged 11 points per game on 40% shooting, which is below the league average. He did have a few standout games, including a 44-point outburst on December 23.
If he signs with the Mavericks, he likely wouldn’t need to chip in with scoring like that, acting instead as an option off the bench. The Mavs likely wouldn’t ask for much more than that.
“Walker will be looked upon to create for himself and others to make life easier for [Luka] Doncic … whose usage rate is at a sky-high 36.9 percent at this juncture of the season,” according to Gilbert McGregor of the Sporting News. “Walker is a cerebral player that shouldn’t have much of an issue adjusting to a new system in Dallas under Jason Kidd.”
Knicks Make Big Upgrade
If the signing goes through, the Knicks and Mavs would have swapped point guards from last season, and it’s clear New York found the better option here with Brunson.
The Mavericks were in the business of finding a backup, and there was even a sense they could go after Derrick Rose as an option.
“Dallas could make it happen, too, if they were willing to give up a first-round pick and use that (Davis) Bertans contract going to New York,” an NBA executive told Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney.
Obviously, that didn’t happen for them and the Mavs are going to hope Walker can be a good fit. For the Knicks, they’ll likely continue listening to offers for Rose and see if they can find something for him.
“The Knicks have shown a willingness to discuss Derrick Rose and Immanuel Quickley in trade talks, league sources say, as a way to sort out the team’s glut at the guard position over the course of the season,” Charania reported earlier in the month.