By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Reports from the Italian media, including Gazzetta dello Sport, one of Europe’s oldest and most respected newspapers, about an impending deal between Kemba Walker and Emporio Armani Milan, turned out to be premature at best.
According to Eurohoops sources, not only is there no agreement between four-time All-Star point guard Kemba Walker and the Italian team, but there is no contact or plan for something like this to happen at the moment.
The situation is rather the opposite. Milan remains undecided about the possibility of adding extra players to the squad at this stage of the season. With starting point guard Kevin Pangos out until at least March and one of their best players in Shavon Shields out until February, it seems clear that Milan will be forced to look at the market, but even that is not yet certain.
“Now we have a clearer picture of what the next two and a half months will look like and we can make other assessments,” coach Ettore Messina mentioned after last night’s home loss to Zalgiris Kaunas, implying that Milano could move more aggressively in the market.
That may have triggered the reports and while everyone would like to have a star like Kemba Walker in the EuroLeague, that is unfortunately not the case.
Walker, 32, has been a free agent since the Dallas Mavericks released him in early January. He appeared in nine games in a Mavericks jersey and had a 32-point, seven-assist performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers in December.
Since beginning his career in 2011 after being selected with the ninth overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets (then Bobcats), Walker has made 781 NBA appearances. He averaged 20-plus points in five straight seasons, from 2015 to 2020 as a player for Charlotte (through 2019) and the Boston Celtics.
