Kemba Walker from the New York Knicks will not be used again this season. This is what the franchise and the player agreed on.
As Knicks President Leon Rose confirmed on Wednesday, Walker asked not to play again this season. “We support Kemba in his decision so that he can fully prepare for the coming season. The fact that he can stay fit in the long term is high on our agenda.”
Walker, who still has a contract in New York until 2023, will only train for the remaining weeks of the season. In this season, the point guard only averaged 11.3 points (career low) and only scored double digits in two of 13 games in 2022.
The former All-Star, who came from Oklahoma City via a buyout before the season, did not come close to reaching his old level – also due to recurring knee problems – so that Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau temporarily put the point guard on the bench. Walker was only flushed back into the starting five because of the Knicks’ major injury concerns.
The Knicks are currently 3.5 games behind in tenth place, the last place that qualifies for the Play-In Tournament. This can be seen as a disappointment, after all, the New Yorkers surprised last year with fourth place and their first playoff participation in eight years.
Walker should also help the upward trend continue, but the New York native was never able to live up to expectations. The 31-year-old was the ninth pick in 2011 and played for the Charlotte Hornets for eight years, where he became an All-Star. This was followed by two years with the Boston Celtics, who traded him to OKC in 2021.
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