![]() ![]() After being one of the NBA's most durable players during his eight years in Charlotte to begin his career, missing a total of 35 games, he has missed 45 the past two seasons, including 29 this year alone.Īfter spending most of the 2020 calendar year battling left knee issues, Walker underwent a 12-week strengthening program in the offseason to try to improve the knee, missing the start of the season, and then was intentionally held out of one half of every back-to-back set. The move brings an end to a tumultuous two years for Walker, 31, with the Celtics after his celebrated signing in July 2019 to replace Kyrie Irving as the team's starting point guard. Oklahoma City will work with Walker in a similar fashion, sources said. The trade also continues a consistent trend under Presti for Oklahoma City to work with players to find them a suitable new home, something he has done with Chris Paul, Danny Green and now Horford after acquiring all three within the past several months. The Thunder now have 18 first-round picks over the next seven drafts. The Thunder have three first-round picks in this year's draft: their own, Boston's, and either the fifth pick or the 18th pick, depending on whether Oklahoma City gets Houston's top-4-protected first-rounder after Tuesday's NBA draft lottery. Oklahoma City, on the other hand, is continuing to acquire draft capital as it rebuilds its roster around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. That flexibility will give Boston the potential capability to re-sign guard Evan Fournier, whom they acquired at this year's trade deadline and who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, while also reuniting the Celtics with Horford, who spent three years with them before signing his current deal with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019. Walker is owed roughly $73 million over the next two years, while Horford is owed $53 million - $41 million guaranteed - over the same two years. ![]() The Celtics get significant financial flexibility as Stevens tries to retool the roster around young stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. "I want to thank him for his tremendous impact, and the positive contribution he's made both to the Celtics and the City of Boston." "Kemba is a true professional and a great teammate and player," Stevens said in a statement. But Stevens has a long-standing relationship with Thunder general manager Sam Presti, and the deal accomplished key objectives for both franchises. It is unusual for any trade to happen before next week's NBA combine, let alone one this significant. Two weeks after replacing Danny Ainge as president of basketball operations for the Boston Celtics, Brad Stevens made a seismic first move in his new role.īoston is sending All-Star point guard Kemba Walker, the 16th pick in this year's NBA draft and a 2025 second-round selection to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Al Horford, Moses Brown and a 2023 second-round pick, the teams announced Friday. ![]() NBA, Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserīoston Celtics trading Kemba Walker, 2021 first-rounder to Oklahoma City Thunder
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