For a second straight summer, Kemba Walker is on track to be bought out. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter) that the Pistons and Walker are finalizing a buyout agreement that will pave the way for him to become a free agent.
Technically, Walker isn’t even a Piston yet. The Knicks have agreed to a deal that will send him to Detroit, but it’s not official and likely won’t be until after the July moratorium ends next week, so the veteran point guard will have to wait a little longer to officially become a free agent.
Still, if he and the Pistons have a buyout agreement in place, the team presumably won’t stand in the way of him talking to potential suitors in the hopes of lining up a new deal.
Walker is under contract for $9.2MM next season. The veteran’s minimum salary for a player with more than 10 years of experience projects to be just shy of $3MM, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link), so Walker is likely to give up roughly that amount in his buyout with Detroit.
The Pistons intend to leave Walker’s dead money on their 2022/23 cap rather than stretching it across three seasons, tweets James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.
A four-time All-Star, the 32-year-old guard has been hampered by knee injuries the past two years. He appeared in 37 games for the Knicks this season, but was benched for a while in November and December and was eventually shut down in mid-February. He was limited to 25.6 minutes per night and averaged 11.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
Walker also reached a buyout with the Thunder last August after the Celtics traded him to Oklahoma City. He signed with the Knicks four days later.
LaMelo could use a veteran presence behind him in the rotation, and Steve Clifford loved Kemba…
He’s definitely not getting much this time around. Best of luck though uconn legend.
Lakers should take a chance with him if they can…
He isnt mentioned as one of the candidates, but you never know. Certainly one of the options.
They need healthy players and defensive players.. both of which Kenna aren’t
Kemba is headed for a series of 1 year/Vet min. contracts ..
What a coincidence… Knicks included $6mil in the Noel, Burks salary dump and Kemba is projected to receive $3mil less than his $9mil salary. Sounds to me like the Knicks bought him out essentially.
I mean your not wrong. The way these trades and salary dumps work sometimes is weird
I thought the same thing….
I suspect he didn’t want to play for detroit and NY obliged with the buyout…
That’s pretty much what happened. Knicks bought themselves cap space.
It’s either going to be the Nets or lakers maybe even the Mavericks
Charolette would be a great place for him. I hope Isaiah Thomas goes to the Celtics too.
If they buyout all 3 players was it worth taking on 19.4M of dead cap? They had what 49M in cap space? Now it would be 30M.
They probably weren’t going to spend that amount, anyway. Their cap space is designed to take on deals like this and pick up some draft picks in the process.
Where is stated that DET is going to buyout Burks or Noel-? I’d be shocked if they did. They got effectively one 2nd round pick (their own) for taking both of them, at a cap hit of over 19 mm. It doesn’t matter if the NYK send cash for part of it, what matters is cap space (and they’d take the full hit above any give back). No team that’s using cap space (or might) would ever give up that much for a 2nd round pick.
Yes, buyouts do not reduce cap hits in total. But I don’t see it claimed that is happening. Burks & Noel are useful players… unless losing is preferred.