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Knicks Trade Rumors: Kemba Walker Doesn't Interest Teams After Being Benched by NY
December 16, 2021
Kemba Walker has reportedly not drawn any trade interest from other teams since he was taken out of the New York Knicks' rotation.
Matt Moore of The Action Network reported teams are too wary of Walker's knee problems to make an offer for the four-time All-Star.
Walker hasn't played in a game since Nov. 26 after Tom Thibodeau chose to insert Alec Burks into the starting lineup. The move was designed to help spark a scuffling Knicks team, but it hasn't led to any success. The Knicks have lost seven of the nine games Walker has sat out.
"I could be pissed, but at the end of the day, there are some young guys here who look up to me. Maybe I can be a role model. I love being around my teammates, and I'm going to cheer them on until I can't anymore," Walker told reporters last week.
The Knicks signed Walker to a two-year, $17.9 million contract this offseason after he reached a buyout with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Boston Celtics sent Walker to Oklahoma City after a failed two-year tenure with the franchise, thanks in large part to his ailing knee.
While it's clear he doesn't fit with Thibodeau's preferred playing style, Walker was far from the biggest problem with the Knicks. He was shooting a career-high 41.3 percent from three-point range, and the rest of his per-minute offensive splits weren't marked departures from his career numbers.
It's clear Walker will probably never return to All-Star form, but he's 31 and on a manageable contract. It's surprising teams haven't reached out about buying low and inserting him as a high-leverage bench player.
