AP Photo/John MinchilloThe season of Kemba Walker is over.
The New York Knicks and the point guard's agent, Jeff Schwartz, worked together to develop a plan after Walker's time with the team became fraught with starts and stops.
Leon Rose released a statement expressing his support for the decision.
Ian Begley @IanBegleyKnicks’ team president Leon Rose says club supports Kemba Walker’s decision to shut himself down for the rest of the season. Rose’s full statement: pic.twitter.com/r9Xtvi0x0I
Walker won't play again this season and will be ready for the 2022-23 campaign. The Knicks could explore trade possibilities this summer with Schwartz set to enter the last year of his contract in the summer.
Walker has had an up and down season.
He made his way back into the lineup when the Knicks were dealing with attrition after being removed from the rotation. He scored 21 or more points in three straight games in December, including a 44 point performance in a loss to the Washington Wizards.
He had a knee problem and had scored less than 10 points in 11 of his last 12 appearances before this decision.
The Knicks are expected to get Rose back in the near future, so the veteran will help make up for the lost minutes with the absence of Walker.
In his first season with New York, Walker will finish with an average of 11 points, 3.5 assists, 3.0 rebound and 0.7 steals.
He was an All-Star for four straight seasons from 2016 to 2020 as a member of the Charlotte Hornets and Boston Celtics. There was a time when Walker was one of the best offensive point guards in the league, and he scored more than 20 points a night.
Maybe some time off or a change of scenery can help him rediscover that form in 2022-23, but the Knicks will not have him as they try to make a late charge.
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