Kemba Walker is moving back to the Big Apple. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the four-time All-Star agreed to a contract buyout with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, paving the way for Walker to sign with his hometown team, the New York Knicks.
Walker's agents, Jeff Schwartz and Javon Phillips, and Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti ironed out the agreement on a buyout of Walker's contract, which still has two years to run and is worth a whopping $74 million.
Walker to join Knicks after buyout agreement
Once the buyout is finalized, Walker can sign with the Knicks, who still have around $10 million in salary-cap space remaining for next season. Walker was traded to the Thunder by the Celtics back in June in what was Brad Stevens' first major deal as president of Boston's basketball operations. The Thunder got the No. 16 pick in this year's draft in that trade which also saw Al Horford return to the Celtics lineup.
Walker's stay with Oklahoma City did not last long as the Thunder opted to give more playing time to their young guards for the 2021-22 season, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who agreed to a massive five-year extension worth $172 million earlier this week.
Walker will now make his grand return to the city where his basketball career started. He was a star at Rice High School back in the day and had legendary battles with his now teammate Derrick Rose at Madison Square Garden. Walker's legend grew even further in 2011 when he led the University of Connecticut to the Big East Tournament title, grabbing five wins in five days at MSG.
Shortly after, he cemented his legacy as one of the greatest UConn players in history, leading the Huskies to their third national championship that same year. Walker's love affair with the Garden resumes next season, now as a member of his beloved Knicks.
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Fournier and Walker to boost Knicks offense
This season, New York has been aggressive in free agency after falling to the Atlanta Hawks in five games in the first round of last season's playoffs. After struggling to put some points on the board in that series loss to the Hawks, the Knicks went out looking for offensive weapons.
They splashed the cash immediately, handing French star Evan Fournier a four-year deal worth $78 million. He averaged 17.1 points per game last campaign, shooting a career-high 41.3 percent from beyond the arc in 42 games played between Orlando and Boston. The Knicks also re-signed Rose, Alec Burks, and Nerlens Noel to three-year deals.
The impending Walker signing is a major coup, though, for the Knicks. Walker is looking to bounce back from his 2020-21 season, which was one of the worst of his career. Walker played in a career-low 43 games last campaign as he was plagued with knee problems. He averaged just 19.3 points per game last season, his lowest since the 2014-15 campaign.
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