Kemba Walker, a four-time All-Star, joins a Dallas Mavericks club that needs playmaking support behind star Luka Doncic, but it is still being determined when he will start to contribute.
Before Tuesday’s formal addition by Dallas, Walker, a 32-year-old guard, was unsigned for the first 6 weeks of the season. Walker hasn’t played since February 16 due to knee issues that have plagued him recently.
Coach Jason Kidd stated the team intended to have Walker in the lineup for practice on Wednesday before the club’s game against Golden State on Tuesday night.
Dallas signed Walker amid a seven-game stretch that began 11 days before the team’s next extended period of rest and a four-game losing streak.
Kidd declared, “The train doesn’t stop.” “We’ll bring him up to speed. A vet, he is. He has played for this league. And with any luck, we’ll place him where he can succeed.
After making it to the W.C. finals the previous season, the slide brought the Mavericks’ record below.500.
After thriving alongside Doncic, Dallas lost Jalen Brunson to the N.Y. Knicks in free agency. Brunson was a vital component of the postseason triumphs without the three-time All-Star.
Due to Brunson’s departure, the Mavericks missed one of their two main ballhandlers behind Doncic. Spencer Dinwiddie has been carrying most of the load this season.
Around Doncic, the shooters have also been having trouble, with Dorian Finney-Smith, Reggie Bullock, and Tim Hardaway Jr. also experiencing slumps that come and go.
Walker was only able to participate in 37 games in his lone season with the New York Knicks the year before due to persistent knee issues.
Walker, who was selected with the ninth overall pick in 2011, became an All-Star in Charlotte’s final three seasons before re-signing with Boston in free agency.
Walker played the majority of the pandemic outbreak 2019–20 season, capping a run of five years in a row in which he scored a minimum of 20 points per game. It was also his fourth and final All-Star selection.
Before being traded to Knicks in the offseason, Walker appeared in just 43 games during his season two with the Celtics.