Celtics Finally Give Up On Kemba Walker, Ship Him Off to OKC
In his first month as GM of the Celtics, Brad Stevens has traded Kemba Walker, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2021 drafts and a 2025 second-round pick to the Thunder for Al Horford. It's a salary dump that moves the $73 million owed to Walker and that returns Horford, a familiar face in Boston.
At least Stevens is willing to make moves, unlike Danny Ainge.
This past season was a frustrating campaign for Kemba Walker, and it seems management has had enough. Who can really blame them? A four-year, $140 million deal for a player who isn't a star based on anyone's calculation. Those type of contracts can't exist on teams with championship aspirations.
Boston still has to fill that coaching vacancy, which may also affect how Stevens handles the roster the rest of this off-season.
Kemba was brutal
No shade here, but Kemba Walker has been average at best on the court. Just 19.3 points per game, and even more importantly, he isn't reliable. He had only 43 starts this year, mostly because of a lingering knee injury that required surgery last off-season.
Good for the Celtics for finally being proactive. It's time for this team to land a sidekick for Jayson Tatum and to get the right coach who can cash in when it matters.