NEW YORK — The homecoming is officially over. And it was a dud.
Kemba Walker shut himself down for remainder of the Knicks season as both sides push for a relocation, sources confirmed Wednesday.
Walker, the Bronx-bred 33-year-old, has struggled since agreeing to a two-year, $18 million deal and would’ve seen his minutes further cut once Derrick Rose returns from ankle surgery. It’s unlikely that the Knicks and Walker, who is dealing with the ups and downs of an arthritic knee, will agree to a buyout before the March 1 deadline, meaning he’ll enter next season on an expiring contract.
The Knicks, who tried unsuccessfully to trade Walker earlier this month, will have an easier time dealing or buying out Walker in the summer when he’s guaranteed only about $9 million.
Either way, his Knicks career is probably over.
“We fully support Kemba’s decision to shut down for the remainder of the season and to use this time to prepare for next season,” the Knicks said in a statement. “His long-term success on the court remains our priority.”
The abrupt departure means the Knicks can continue to push their youth with minutes allotted for Quentin Grimes and Immanuel Quickley. He’s the first casualty of a dreadful Knicks season that left them 12th in the East at the All-Star break.
Walker’s signing was pitched as providing the Knicks with the high upside of a four-time All-Star. There was also the human interest element of a homegrown NYC playground star returning to his stomping grounds, which the Knicks played up with an intro video featuring “A Bronx Tale” star Chazz Palminteri.
But the point guard’s knee couldn’t hold up and he’s lost much of the explosiveness from his days in Charlotte. He averaged career lows in points (11.6), minutes (25.6), assists (3.5) and rebounds (3.0). Most concerning, the Knicks were outscored by 182 points with Walker on the court. He finished with a -9.1 net rating, the worst on the team.
Coach Tom Thibodeau surprisingly cut Walker from the rotation just 20 games into the season, claiming he’s unwilling to play the veteran unless he’s starting. But a COVID-19 breakout in December forced Thibodeau to give Walker back his starting job, and Walker was in and out of the lineup while managing his knee pain.
In his last public comments as a Knick before the trade deadline, Walker expressed frustration with his reduced role.
“We do have a lot of guys who can score the basketball. And we don’t play through me,” Walker said about three weeks ago. “So I’m just kind of out there — I’m the one playing off these guys. I’m playing off these guys. So I’m waiting for my opportunities. And I’m still learning where to be aggressive and things of that nature on this team. I can’t say it enough, it’s different. It’s just different for me.”
