Once thought to be the New York Knicks’ answer at point guard, Kemba Walker was recently removed from the team’s rotation. With the team possessing a plethora of starting-caliber players, the question becomes whether the Knicks will look to move Walker before the NBA trade deadline?
New York should be able to move Walker, as the 31-year-old is in the first season of a mere two-year, $18 million deal and is a capable scorer. That said, the Knicks can only realistically expect to receive a rotation player or grouping of second-round draft picks for Walker given them not having leverage in trade talks (they have a deep rotation and publicly announced the removal of Walker from their rotation altogether).
Here are three ideal trade destinations for Kemba Walker in the scenario that the Knicks look to move him.
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3. Kemba Walker gives the Indiana Pacers a veteran scorer
The Pacers seem intent on finding out if a healthy version of their roster can contend in the Eastern Conference. At 9-14, it seems unlikely they’ll be a player in the East. That said, for better or worse, they’re trying to win games in the present with a talented roster. Walker could be a midseason enhancement for head coach Rick Carlisle’s offense.
In all likelihood, Walker comes off the Pacers’ bench, sharing the second unit backcourt with T.J. McConnell. If he quickly finds success in the form of being a steady scorer, Walker could find his way on the floor at the end of games if the Pacers choose to go small. He’d presumably be an off-the-ball guard while Malcolm Brogdon assumes ball-handling duties.
Regardless of his inauspicious start with the Knicks, Walker is a proven scorer. He gets to the rim off the dribble and is a capable shooter with playoff experience. A five-man unit at the end of games of Walker, Brogdon, Caris LeVert, Chris Duarte/T.J. Warren and Domantas Sabonis is a grouping of players who can score in a variety of ways.
- Kemba Walker stats (2021-22): 11.7 points, 3.1 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game while shooting 42.9/41.3/80.0
The Pacers can send the Knicks Jeremy Lamb, who the team has supposedly been wanting to trade since the offseason. From the Knicks’ perspective, Lamb could strengthen a strength in his shooting ability.
All that being said, Carlisle may prefer McConnell handling the rock off the bench while viewing the return of Warren as a potential boost for the rotation as a whole.
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2. Kemba Walker gives the Dallas Mavericks another scorer
The Mavericks are playing well and are one of a handful of Western Conference teams that’s trying to break through. In Dallas’ case, though, they’re trying to merely get past the first round of the playoffs. With that in mind, all options should be on the table, and Walker is a compelling trade option for them.
This is a shooting-centric team. The Mavericks have continually surrounded Luka Doncic with shooting in both the backcourt and frontcourt. One thing this rotation doesn’t have is a veteran scoring point guard playing considerable minutes. That’s what Walker would give the Mavericks. He’d provide instant offense off the bench and potentially take the starting reigns with enough success in head coach Jason Kidd’s offense.
Doncic is basically a point forward, making the ideal type of “point guard” for their system someone who would be sort of a swing-scoring facilitator. With Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. present, Walker wouldn’t be on opposing teams’ radar. In other words, he’d get a bevy of open looks given the uptempo nature of the Mavericks’ offense.
Contenders make moves to beef up their rotation, and the Mavericks are one of the first teams that should be looking to do as such. They can send New York frontcourt shooting in Maxi Kleber or Trey Burke and a future second-rounder for Walker. Besides, the Mavericks love ex-Knicks (one-third of their roster is made up of former Knicks).
At the end of the day, though, the Mavericks may not view a rotation role for Walker as worthwhile for their sake given the presence of guards like Burke and Jalen Brunson.
1. Kemba Walker joins the win-now Miami Heat
Depth is an issue for the Heat when it concerns them sustaining high-level play for the entire 2021-22 NBA season. Plus, Kyle Lowry is 35 and averaging just 12.5 points per game this season. Walker can make a difference in South Beach.
Serving as the backup point guard for head coach Erik Spoelstra’s rotation, Walker provides the Heat with a proven commodity to be the captain of the second unit. He’d be a starting-caliber player coming off the bench. Miami going from Lowry to Walker at point in the middle of games is a minimal downgrade considering that neither player is being asked to score 15 points on a nightly basis.
Miami’s offensive bedrock is Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. That has been unchanged by Lowry’s arrival and wouldn’t change with Walker’s theoretically arrival. Then there’s Victor Oladipo, who is yet to play this season as he recovers from a knee injury. If and when Oladipo returns to the floor, he adds another scoring threat and depth to Miami’s rotation.
The East is up for grabs this season. First off, the Milwaukee Bucks are off to a rough start and it’s difficult to repeat as NBA champions, as is. Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets (Kyrie Irving) and Philadelphia 76ers (Ben Simmons) are indefinitely without a premier player and the Atlanta Hawks have been inconsistent.
Miami is constructed and has every reason to be going for all the marbles this season. Walker gives them more offensive firepower, which a championship contender can’t have enough of. As it concerns a trade, the Heat could send New York Markieff Morris and/or Dewayne Dedmon and then scour the midseason NBA buyout market, which typically includes many veteran players, like hawks.