Mavs Waive Kemba Walker; Make Room for Jaden Hardy, McKinley Wright IV

The Dallas Mavericks will waive Kemba Walker before his $2.2 million contract becomes fully guaranteed for the rest of the season.

The Dallas Mavericks continue to search for the answer to their third ball handler needs. At first, they tried Facundo Campazzo, but he was waived. Kemba Walker was signed as an option, but his time with the Mavs is over. 

According to NBA reporter Marc Stein, the Mavs are waiving Kemba Walker before his salary becomes guaranteed for the remainder of the season. The move will clear room for McKinley Wright IV and Jaden Hardy. 

The Dallas Mavericks are releasing former All-Star guard Kemba Walker before his contract becomes guaranteed for the rest of the season on Saturday, league sources tell The Stein Line.

Walker had signed a one-year, $2.2 million veteran's minimum contract. There had been speculation about the length of Walker's stay in Dallas since GM Nico Harrison's comments on 1310 The Ticket after the signing, describing Walker's in a concerning way. 

"It's one (knee)," Harrison said of Walker's knee injury history. "It's not good, it's not good at all, but he's rehabbed it, and it's the best he's felt in the last two years. We'll see how long that lasts."

Walker made his biggest impact for the Mavs during a Dec. 17 game against the Cleveland Cavaliers with Luka Doncic sidelined. He played a staggering 42 minutes and finished with 32 points, five rebounds, and seven assists. The impact of playing such a heavy workload proved concerning. 

"I think it's just the workload we had him play Saturday in Cleveland,” said coach Jason Kidd on Dec. 23 when asked about Walker missing the Mavs’ game against the Houston Rockets. 

Jason Kidd on Kemba Walker being out vs. Rockets: "I think it's just the workload we had him play Saturday in Cleveland. We pushed the limits having him play 40-plus, so to give him tonight and be able to come back and be able to play the day game on Christmas is the goal.” pic.twitter.com/emzx9FR1HK

— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) December 24, 2022

Walker appeared in nine games with the Mavs since signing his contract. In his 16.0 minutes per game, he averaged 8.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. He never emerged as a consistent member of the rotation and wasn't utilized much alongside Doncic. 

Walker will become an unrestricted free agent after clearing waivers, enabling him to sign with any of the NBA's other 29 teams.

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