Where’s Kemba Walker? Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has no thought.
Walker shut it down for the season on the All-Star break to get his arthritic left knee more healthy for subsequent season.
Walker is on a two-year, $18 million contract with the Knicks, however Thibodeau’s cluelessness relating to his whereabouts is the clearest indicator the Bronx level guard legend isn’t of their plans.
Asked if Walker has been on the Tarrytown facility, Thibodeau stated, “No, he’s away from the workforce. That’s the way in which it’s. He’s rehabbing, caring for what he has to maintain.’’
Thibodeau stated Walker will not be working with workforce trainers.
“No, he’s away from the workforce,’’ Thibodeau stated. “And that was agreed upon. Our administration, his agent and Kemba, we simply felt that was one of the best ways to deal with it.’’
According to an NBA supply, Walker has been coaching in Charlotte, N.C., his former dwelling, and New York, shuttling forwards and backwards. Walker’s mom nonetheless lives within the “Queen City,’’ and the Hornets could possibly be a future vacation spot as he performed there eight seasons. The Knicks go to Charlotte on Wednesday.
The likeliest state of affairs is the Knicks buying and selling Walker’s expiring contract in a deal on draft night time in late June. No buyout talks have taken place.
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Walker, 31, can nonetheless assist a workforce as a bench participant, as he averaged 11.3 factors in 37 video games and shot 36.7 p.c from 3.
Rookie SG Quentin Grimes is anticipated to return vs. the Wizards on Friday after lacking 9 straight video games with a dislocated knee.
Grimes stated he feels “one hundred pc,’’ and Thibodeau added he’s “champing on the bit.’’
His two-way play has impressed Thibodeau since he superior into the rotation in December.
“He’s been out for some time however all the things he does is all out,’’ Thibodeau stated. “The method performs in a recreation is how he practices. He advantages enormously from that.’’
Derrick Rose (ankle) nonetheless hasn’t been cleared to observe leaving his possibilities of returning by season’s find yourself within the air.
Former Knicks lottery decide Kristaps Porzingis will play his first recreation on the Garden this season on Friday, and first as a Wizard.
Porzingis missed the Dallas-Knicks recreation on Jan. 11 as a result of he had COVID-19. The Mavericks traded Porzingis, the Knicks fourth-overall decide within the 2015 draft, in February within the Spencer Dinwiddie package deal partly because of sturdiness points. He’s averaging 19.5 factors however capturing simply 28 p.c from 3.
