Austin Konenski
The Dallas Mavericks are in advanced discussions to sign four-time All-Star point guard Kemba Walker to a contract as early as this week, according to Substack’s Marc Stein. This move comes as Dallas sits with a 9-10 record in the Western Conference.
Walker, 32, used to be one of the NBA’s most underrated scoring guards standing at exactly six feet but has taken a plunge after the decision to leave the Charlotte Hornets for the Boston Celtics in 2019.
Now, the 32-year-old guard is set to pair with Most Valuable Player candidate Luka Doncic as he looks to regain his previous form and give the team a spark in its scoring potential moving forward.
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Dallas Mavericks in advanced talks with Kemba Walker, evaluating the possible move
It has not been an easy couple of years for Walker due to team fits and injuries. He spent the first eight seasons of his career in Charlotte and performed really well with his best season coming in 2018 before he left for Boston.
Walker averaged 25.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.9 assists while shooting 43.4% from the field and 35.6% from the three-point line in 82 games. Walker was previously a durable player in his career, but that changed quickly as his availability lowered.
The four-time All-Star had zero seasons underneath 60 games played during the first eight years of his career with the Hornets. However, that changed as Walker has played 56 or fewer games in the last three seasons.
Walker has also been on a few teams as he spent two seasons with the Celtics and one season with the New York Knicks before his time in both places came to an end. Now, he will join Dallas as they look to jump over the hump.
The Mavericks will reportedly waive Facundo Campazzo to make room for Walker’s entrance, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Walker has not been signed to a team for the 2022-’23 season until now.
It is a nice addition by Dallas as it looks to add more firepower to the offense. A player of Walker’s caliber should never hurt if he can play even a little bit like he used to perform in Charlotte for many seasons.
The Mavericks are set to add another piece to the puzzle as they look to make some noise in the Western Conference this season.
