DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks' offense has been desperate for an additional ball-handler to pair alongside Luka Doncic since Jalen Brunson departed to the New York Knicks this past offseason -- and now the team is hoping a former All-Star can fill that void.
On Monday morning, NBA insiders Shams Charania and Marc Stein both cited league sources while reporting that the Mavs plan to sign four-time NBA All-Star point guard Kemba Walker to their roster.
According to a tweet from Charania, the team plans to waive recent free agent signee -- and Doncic's former Real Madrid teammate -- Facundo Campazzo in order to open up a roster spot for Walker.
Walker, a two-time NBA Sportsmanship Award winner and a member of the 2019 All-NBA Third Team, played for the New York Knicks last season, where he averaged 11.6 points, 3.5 assists and 3 rebounds in just over 25 minutes played per game.
The 32-year-old's durability was a concern in New York, however.
After signing a two-year, $17.9 million contract with the Knicks heading into the 2020-2021 campaign, Walker played just 37 games before shutting down his season to rehab a lingering knee injury.
Then, in order to free up cap space to sign Brunson, the Knicks traded to Walker to the Pistons, where he was quickly waived.
There's no doubt that Walker has lost a step since his prime years with the Charlotte Bobcats and Boston Celtics, but his career numbers are stout: Across 11 NBA seasons, he's averaged 19.5 points, 5.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game. He's also a career 36% shooter from behind the arc.
In college, Walker led the UConn Huskies to the 2011 NCAA Championship.
Could he be the answer the Mavericks need to sort their offensive woes this season? Probably not for the long-term, considering his longstanding knee issues, which date back to 2015.
But his veteran presence -- at 32, he'll be the Mavs' second-oldest player behind the 34-year-old JaVale McGee -- surely can't be a bad thing for a team that's dipped to below .500 on the season after dropping its last four games.
