Report: Kemba Walker working out in Charlotte, could return to Hornets

Kemba Walker has had a pretty tumultuous 2021-22 season.

After being in and out of the New York Knicks’ rotation, Walker and the team agreed in February that he would not play for the rest of the season.

It seems like Walker might have already played his last game for the Knicks. The four-time All-Star is reportedly working out in Charlotte, N.C. and could even end up returning to the Charlotte Hornets, the team he spent the first eight seasons of his NBA career with.

“According to an NBA source, Walker has been training in Charlotte, N.C., his former home, and New York, shuttling back and forth,” the New York Post’s Marc Berman reported. “Walker’s mother still lives in the ‘Queen City,’ and the Hornets could be a future destination as he played there eight seasons.”

During his time with the Hornets, Walker earned three All-Star selections and averaged 19.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game on 41.8 percent shooting from the field and 35.7 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

The former first-round pick later joined the Boston Celtics and spent two seasons with them before signing with the Knicks this past offseason.

This season, Walker has averaged 11.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 40.3 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from 3-point range.

Although he isn’t putting up the sort of numbers he once did, it’s clear that he can still help some teams around the league as a veteran presence.

It will be interesting to see if any teams express interest in adding Walker this coming offseason. After the conclusion of the 2021-22 campaign, he will have one more year left on his current contract.