OFFICIAL: Mavs Sign Kemba Walker; Can He Help Luka Doncic?
Luka #Luka
Kemba Walker’s Knicks homecoming was a bust. Now the 32-year-old former All-Star has officially inked a deal with the Dallas Mavericks.
DALLAS – Kemba Walker, once the the apple of the Dallas Mavericks’ free agency eye, has officially signed a one-year, non-guaranteed deal to join Luka Doncic and company as of Tuesday afternoon, per Mavs PR.
The 11-year veteran point guard will wear No. 34 for the Mavs. Although the signing was made official today, Walker isn’t expected to play for Dallas immediately, according to NBA reporter Marc Stein.
The Mavs are struggling of late … and so is Walker.
Dallas is off to a 9-10 start and is on a losing streak that has extended to four games, with MVP candidate Luka Doncic carrying too large a load.
Walker, if healthy, could in theory help with perimeter shooting and with ball-handling off the bench. But it is worth noting that he has not played since last season in part due to knee issues.
Said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau after New York trade-dumped him over the summer: “We thought (the big-money signing) was worth it. There were some good moments. If he’s healthy, he’s good. So, that’s about it.”
Walker is a four-time All-Star, but ultimately with the Knicks he averaged just 11.6 points and 3.5 assists in 37 games, the lowest averages of his career. Before that, he averaged 25.6 points and 5.9 assists per game in his final season with the Charlotte Hornets in 2018-19 before he hit free agency. The Mavs that summer made a great deal of noise about him being their No. 1 target, but once free agency opened, he declined to visit with Dallas and immediately signed with the Boston Celtics in free agency.
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