Kemba Walker isn’t part of the future or even the present in Detroit, a roster with Cade Cunningham, Cory Joseph and Killian Hayes already at the one. That’s why the Pistons and Walker talked buyout, but Walker never reportedly signed off on it because he didn’t have a landing spot with another team, despite his belief he has plenty in the tank.
Left withou Pistons are likely to waive Walker and eat his $9.2 million contract, reports Shams Charania and James Edwards III of The Athletic.
The Detroit Pistons are likely to waive four-time All-Star Kemba Walker before Monday’s deadline to set regular season roster, sources tell me and @JLEdwardsIII. The move will bring Detroit's roster to 15 guaranteed spots.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 14, 2022
Walker could help a team, if healthy. Last season in New York he averaged 11.6 points and 3.5 assists a game playing solid ball, but appeared in just 37 games due to ongoing knee problems. That’s the question holding teams back from signing Walker: can he hold up physically?
There are teams now that could use depth at point guard, and more will pop up. At some point, a team is going to give Walker a chance to prove he can stay healthy and help a team. But it appears that will not happen before the start of the season, which will lead to him being bought out.