Former Celtics guard Kemba Walker was a spectator when the team played Saturday night in Atlanta, but he’s not ready for the end of his NBA career, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic.
Walker appeared in just nine games this season, all with the Mavericks, who signed him in late November and released him on January 6 before his salary would have become fully guaranteed. He would be playoff-eligible if another team signs him before the season ends, but he says he’s fine if that doesn’t happen.
“There’s really no rush for me. I’m really trying to eat up this time, to be real,” Walker said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten so much time to work on myself, work on my body. So I’m not tripping at all. Honestly, I’d probably rather just sit it out and try to be ready for the next go-around, so we’ll see how it (goes).”
Walker was an All-Star when Boston acquired him from the Hornets in 2019. He posted one more All-Star season with the Celtics, but a knee injury eventually derailed his game. He was dealt to the Thunder in 2021 and had an injury-plagued comeback attempt with the Knicks before the Pistons traded for him and waived him last summer.
Walker averaged 8.0 points and 2.1 assists with Dallas in 16 minutes per night, but the ongoing knee issue robbed him of the explosiveness that used to define his game. It also turned him into a defensive liability and made it difficult for coach Jason Kidd to keep him on the court.
“They said they wanted to go young. That was it,” Walker explained. “They wanted to go young, which I respect. I was happy that I got the opportunity to get out there, be in Dallas, get the chance to play with Luka (Doncic) and watch him up close and personal. After playing with (Jayson Tatum), I’ve played with two of the best young players in the game right now. So that was a pretty cool experience.”
Weiss points out that the Celtics have an open roster spot, but he believes they’re more likely to sign a young prospect than to take a chance on a veteran like Walker. He also notes that it’s been hard to find minutes for Payton Pritchard, so there wouldn’t be a role for Walker to play.
Walker, who has spent the past two months working out at his home in Charlotte, is willing to be patient as he awaits his next opportunity.
“I love basketball. I’m not ready to stop playing yet,” he said. “Wherever the wind takes me.”
The wind is blowing in the direction of China.
Why is it that a team “wanting to go young” isn’t age discrimination ??
Good question. Wonder if there is language in the CBA about this.
Probably just poor choice of words from the org, if you can even prove that was the exact phrase they used. Still with the busted knee I’m not sure he has much to stand on in terms of building a case against the Dallas FO.
Why isn’t a team “wanting to bring in veterans” not age discrimination then??
Well for one, a veteran doesn’t really have anything to do with age. You can be 35 and be a rookie.
Two, being a veteran states you have job experience, which in turn leads to atleast some expectation of performance and proof that you know how to play basketball. Where as someone that has only been in the league, is purely based on theory that they will be good, with no or very little factual proof.
How old are you that you formed that question? There has always been two or more avenues to finish your roster. Veteran with leadership or take a chance on a youngster putting it all together. The NBA has done a great job affording other opportunities to vets or youngsters with different types of contracts. Then there’s over seas. “Going another direction” is a PC answer and while “Going younger” is brutally honest it’s still honest.
When you have players retire at 23, and even younger sometimes, I doubt an age discrimination suit would get very far.
If I was the NBA’s defense attorney in such a suit, I’d subpoena Greg Oden and ask him if he thinks, or he thought he was an old man when he officially retired?
And yes, technically it is discrimination, and this is why they have contracts because much of their pay is performance based.
One of the ten or 15 guys that easily should be in the league of teams cared about culture or winning
Walker playing in the NBA again should be a sportsbook bet.
I’d give it 200/1 odds. The rumors before, during, and after Dallas have done nothing to make NBA team’s stay interested in him.
Maybe gets picked up next season on a 10-day or something for another try-out, but Walker is washed. Rumors need to change about his health, it needs to improve, or no other teams will try him.
Well for one, a veteran doesn’t really have anything to do with age. You can be 35 and be a rookie.
Two, being a veteran states you have job experience, which in turn leads to atleast some expectation of performance and proof that you know how to play basketball. Where as someone that has only been in the league, is purely based on theory that they will be good, with no or very little factual proof.
So am I
Kemba…sorry bud, it’s over. Congrats on a great college career and good NBA career.
He was dumb and stupid for not staying at Boston and NY. They were both ok with Kemba as their 15th player, but he wouldnt accept the role. All these veterans are gettng bad advices to request buyouts.
Dumb and stupid? Wow! What a burn.
So the smart and smart thing to do would have been to stay in Boston and not get playing time or stay in NY and not get playing time? We all know how valuable that 15th man spot is, just ask Udonis Haslem.
There is probably a great glossary piece on here about buyouts…I think you should brush up.
He might convince a team to give him a non-guaranteed contract, but he’d have to show up in the preseason and prove capable of taking the court without it being an event. He wasn’t willing to bet on himself in his buyout negotiations with either OKC or NYK/DET, so he can’t expect anyone else to.
Silver and the NBA don’t want veterans anymore everyone.