Kemba Walker – New York Knicks
One of the key offseason signings that drew a lot of attention was former All-Star Kemba Walker joining the Knicks to be their starting point guard. The Knicks’ backcourt has seen a lot of changes through the years and signing Walker seemed to be a fantastic move for this organization to finally get another All-Star-like talent next to Julius Randle.
Offense has been one of the biggest problems for the Knicks over the years and by adding Kemba Walker to the mix, it seemed that a lot of their offensive woes could be solved this season.
While New York is definitely better offensively this year compared to last year, Kemba Walker has struggled and is now sitting on the sidelines out of the Knicks’ rotation.
In 18 games this year, Walker has averaged career-lows in points (11.7), rebounds (2.6), assists (3.1), field goals made per game (4.2) and shot attempts per game (9.8). The veteran point guard is also only seeing about 24 minutes per game, which is also a career-low.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 3 Stars In Need Of More Help At NBA Trade Deadline
The New York Knicks have not completely given up on Kemba being a part of this team, but his role moving forward is unknown at this point and with guys like Alec Burks, Immanuel Quickley and Derrick Rose all stepping up and playing better than him, it is hard to imagine that New York will not see what they can get for Walker in a trade.
Making $8.7M this season and then $9.2M next season, Kemba Walker is on an affordable contract and while he may not be the same player anymore after several leg/knee injuries, he is still a former 4-time All-Star that can contribute in any capacity to a playoff contending team.
The Knicks seemed like a good fit at first, but with other pieces in their backcourt already, Walker’s presence has seemed to fade. This should not however decrease his value or the kind of player he is.
Kemba Walker has been one of the better scoring point guards in the league over the last several years and for teams having a major need in their backcourt right now like the Mavericks, Nuggets or even the Cavaliers, Walker could make a positive difference in their chances of success moving towards the postseason.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 3 Stars In Need Of More Help At NBA Trade Deadline
New York is right in the thick of things in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, so they may not want to trade away the veteran guard just yet, but it is hard to imagine that several teams will not be inquiring about him when he becomes trade eligible this month.
