Report: Kemba Walker agrees to Thunder buyout, will join Knicks

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Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti has reportedly finally agreed to a buyout.

Point guard Kemba Walker, who was acquired from the Boston Celtics this offseason in a deal that gave the Thunder a first-round draft pick, has agreed to a buyout with OKC, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The terms of the buyout were not immediately reported. Walker was owed $36 million for the upcoming season and had a $37.7 million player option the following year.

The Thunder initially acquired Walker, the No. 16 pick in the 2021 draft and a 2025 second-round pick in exchange for centers Al Horford and Moses Brown and a 2023 second-round pick.

Oklahoma City traded the No. 16 pick for two future first-rounders during the draft.

In Walker, the Thunder may have seen an opportunity to reinvigorate his career and create trade value the way they did with Horford last year and Chris Paul the season before. However, with a plethora of young ball handlers, it was deemed worth the lost money to devote those minutes to development instead of Walker.

Oklahoma City signed star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to a five-year extension and took Josh Giddey, who can play guard or forward, with the No. 6 pick in the draft. Lu Dort starts at the shooting guard or small forward position.

The Thunder also have Theo Maledon, Ty Jerome and No. 18 pick Tre Mann who all need minutes at guard.

With no apparent traction on trade talks, Presti and the organization did something they rarely do in buying out a player.

Wojnarowski reported that the team and Walker’s party had been negotiating it “in recent days.”

Now, Walker can sign with his hometown Knicks, who are hoping to make another playoff run after achieving a fourth-seed finish last season.

New York can offer Walker about $10 million “based on their current moves” and create other space if needed, according to HoopsHype cap guru Yossi Gozlan.

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