Kemba Walker might be leaving New York as quickly as he arrived at the Big Apple.
Walker, a Bronx native, returned home when he signed with the Knicks in August as a free agent. But the Walker experient at Madison Square Garden didn’t last very long, as head coach Tom Thibodeau on Monday announced the veteran point guard has been removed from the Knicks’ rotation.
The four-time All-Star eventually might be detached from the team entirely as well. Bleacher Report’s A. Sherrod Blakely on Tuesday reported New York will look to trade Walker, who unsurprisingly doesn’t have much of a market at this juncture.
That said, a team in a similar situation might be able to help the Knicks out. Blakely suggested the Rockets as a potential Walker trade partner for New York. Houston is “eager” to move on from John Wall, who has yet to play in a game for the Rockets this season despite being healthy. The ongoing DNP decisions were believed to be mutually agreed upon before the start of the season, but Wall reportedly has expressed a desire to return to the court.
Both players have a year remaining on their contract beyond the 2021-22 season. The Knicks signed Walker to a two-year, $17.8 million deal three months ago, while Wall is owed a whopping $91.7 million through the 2022-23 campaign.
Differences in direction could make this hypothetical trade difficult as well. The Knicks, who were the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs last season, are a legitimate postseason contender for a second consecutive campaign. The Rockets, meanwhile, currently own the NBA’s second-worst record and are amid a full-fledged rebuild.
Again, this potential deal would require plenty of curating. But with options limited on both sides, Houston and New York might be forced to dance.
