Kemba Walker’s New York homecoming has come to an end after just one season. The Knicks traded Walker to the Detroit Pistons on the night of the 2022 NBA Draft in a three-team trade that also included the Charlotte Hornets.
The trade was set in motion after the Knicks selected Ousmane Dieng with the No. 11 overall pick. They first sent Dieng to Oklahoma City Thunder for three future conditional first-rounders. Next, the New York team took one of those picks, which comes via the Denver Nuggets, and packaged it with four second-round selections to acquire Memphis’ center Jalen Duren, taken No. 13 overall, from the Charlotte Hornets. Finally, the Knicks shipped Duren and Walker to Detroit in exchange for top-four protected 2025 first-round pick via Milwaukee Bucks.
Walker signed with the Knicks back in August after agreeing to a contract buyout with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The four-time All-Star was expected to be a game-changer for the Knicks and help the franchise make a step forward in the playoffs. However, things turned south pretty quickly.
The 32-year-old mightily struggled in New York and was out of the rotation less than two months into the season. Walker returned after 10 games due to Knicks’ injury issues but only lasted until February before the two sides agreed he wouldn’t be part of the roster moving forward. He played 37 games in 2021-22 in total, averaging 11.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. All were career-lows for the UConn product.
Reportedly, Walker isn’t expected to suit up for the Pistons. So instead, the most likely route is a contract buyout that would let the veteran hit free agency and find another landing spot.
