Former Boston Celtics floor general and 2020 All-Star Kemba Walker is unlikely to ever play for his current team, the Detroit Pistons, and is more than likely set to be released or included in a second trade this offseason.
Since leaving Boston, Walker has seemingly exited his prime after he helped lead the Celtics within two games of the 2020 NBA Finals down in the Walt Disney World bubble. He was exiled from Tom Thibodeau’s Knicks rotation last season in November/December before being needed due to injuries, but his last game was on February 16th.
Given his TPE-level salary, Walker could be a throw-in for any deal. The right team could still hand him responsibilities, but he is obviously no longer the star he was even during his last season with the Cs — unless MSG really does just ruin the careers of home-town players excited to be back in NYC.
In a proposed trade from a league executive to Heavy’s Sean Deveney that also finds a new home for fellow 2020 All-Star Russell Westbrook, the former Boston Celtics point guard ends up alongside LeBron James in Los Angeles in a 4-for-1 swap:
"“Send back Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel and (Kelly) Olynyk and Kemba (Walker). The Lakers would be doing a 1-for-4 deal there, so they’d have to move guys around… You have some tradeable contracts, and you have some veterans you can use for depth. I’d consider it on both sides.”"
Former Boston Celtics point guard Kemba Walker would fit LeBron James well
One thing Kemba Walker has always been efficient with has been his catch-and-shoot abilities, which topped out at 45% during his last season with the Charlotte Hornets and ranked first in the category league-wide in 2016-17.
In the orbit LeBron James’ offensive gravity resides in, Walker’s offense is a glove fit. Again, expecting even the Kemba of two years ago during his second and final season with the Boston Celtics is a fool’s errand, but backing up Patrick Beverley is an appropriate role for Walker at this stage in his career.