Kemba Walker Decides to ‘Shut it Down’ for Rest of Season

Walker’s contract expires this summer, and this gives the team and his agent the ability to work on trade scenarios during the offseason.

Kemba Walker will not be stepping back onto the court this season.

Knicks President Leon Rose said in a statement, “We fully support Kemba's decision to shut it down for the remainder of the season and to use this time to prepare for next season. His long-term success on the court remains our priority.” 

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to report the agreement between Walker and New York.

With Walker on a contract set to expire this summer, the flexibility allows both the franchise and Walker’s agent to work on trade scenarios during the offseason, per Wojnarowski. The 31-year-old penned his two-year deal with New York after the August buyout with the Thunder. 

Walker was dropped from the Knicks' playing rotation in mid-Novemebr despite averaging 11.7 points in their first 18 games. He was on the sidelines for 10 games before coach Tom Thibodeau added him back into the rotation when injuries and COVID-19 affected the team. The guard went on to tally a 29-point game agains the Celtics and a 44-point performance in a loss to the Wizards. 

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The four-time All-Star spent the first eight seasons of his professional career with the Hornets before heading to the Celtics in 2019. 

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