The 2019 NBA free-agency period was riddled with stars ready to test the waters in a greener pasture. Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, and Jimmy Butler are just a few of the names who were available and a handful of them ended up signing with a new team.
Kemba Walker is included in that group and after spending nearly a decade in Charlotte, he chose to relocate to Boston to play for the legendary Celtics. But did you know that the Knicks were in play for his services before it was all said and done? From the lips of Walker himself in an appearance on The Ringer’s “R2C2” podcast:
“Before Boston came along the Knicks were one of my top priorities because I was thinking they were going to get another player. But it didn’t work out.”
Kemba Walker said he was seriously considering signing with the Knicks in free agency last summer
"Before Boston came along the Knicks were one of my top priorities because I was thinking they were going to get another player. But it didn't work out."
(Via @ringer ) pic.twitter.com/dthiEb99Bm
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 6, 2020
The Knicks’ failure to lure in a free agent is ultimately what swayed Kemba’s decision to wear the green. He (understandably) chose winning over a rebuild project in New York.
Of course, anybody that knows the Knicks knows that this type of thing isn’t new for them. Years of bad decision-making and poor team management skills have made them a pretty undesirable location in the eyes of NBA superstars. This Kemba situation is just the latest example.
For their sake, let’s hope their newest hire, coach Tom Thibodeau, can help finally turn things around.
