The Mavericks waived Kemba Walker after the guard played NINE games for Dallas… but Boston could be next on the cards as Jayson Tatum teases a return to the Celtics
The Dallas Mavericks waived veteran guard Kemba Walker on Friday, but his next move may be close to fruition based on a cryptic Jayson Tatum Tweet.
Walker joined Dallas in November on a veteran’s minimum contract of $2.2million, and played just nine games for the franchise.
The move comes a day before his salary becomes guaranteed for the rest of the season.
Kemba Walker played just nine games this season for the Mavericks before being cut
However, if Tatum gets his wish, his former teammate Walker won’t have to wait much longer to find a new home.
Responding to a Tweet from ESPN’s Tim McMahon that broke the news of Walker’s parting ways with the Mavs, Tatum tweeted an eyeball emoji and two shamrock emojis, an obvious nod to the Celtics.
Walker was Tatum’s teammate for two seasons (2019-21) in Boston, earning All-Star honors in his first year there when he averaged 20.4 points and the team reached the Eastern Conference Finals.
Jayson Tatum teased Boston’s return for Walker after news of his departure from Dallas broke
Tatum and Walker were teammates for two seasons in Boston, from 2019-21
However, it’s been a steep decline since then, as he struggled with injuries and fell out of Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotation last season.
That led to the team trading him out of New York after just one season there, though he agreed to a buyout with the Pistons before landing with the Mavs.
In Dallas, he averaged 8.0 points per game in a reserve role behind Luka Doncic and Spencer Dinwiddie.
While Tatum may want Walker back for some scoring depth, the four-time All-Star is a diminished version of his best self, or even the version he was in Boston two seasons ago.
Additionally, Boston already has the best offensive rating in the league, so they aren’t exactly desperate for a Walker reunion.
