Since he was removed from the Knicks’ rotation, Kemba Walker has been the ultimate professional.
He’s been one of the first Knicks off the bench during timeouts, greeting his teammates as they come off the court.
On Monday, Walker said all the right things when speaking to the media for the first time since the demotion.
Obviously, he wants to play. But he respects Tom Thibodeau’s decision. He’s trying to set an example for young teammates by remaining positive. He’s preparing every day as if he was starting, so he’ll be ready if Thibodeau calls on him again.
But if you’re wondering about Walker’s future with the Knicks, you don’t have any firm answers yet.
When he was asked if he sees himself as a starter or wants to play elsewhere, the veteran guard said, "I’m not sure. We’ll see. I’m not really sure yet."
It seems like Walker will have a significant say in how things play out between now and the Feb. 10 trade deadline.
When Walker was asked if he’d play a role in deciding what happens next between he and the Knicks, he said, “I’m pretty sure, yeah. It just depends on how things go moving forward.”
As a veteran with an elevated status in New York City, Walker deserves that kind of influence over his NBA future.
Based on how the Knicks have been run under team president Leon Rose, it would be surprising if the club didn’t heavily consult Walker if they explore trade options for him.
To that end, one Eastern Conference team had already discussed internally how Walker would fit on their roster.
Walker is under contract through 2022-23. You can be sure that his name will come up in reports about trade talks over the next few weeks.
Whether he ends up staying with the Knicks beyond the deadline remains to be seen. But it sounds like will have a say in the process, as he should.
