Mavericks plan to sign Kemba Walker, waive Facundo Campazzo, per report

The Dallas Mavericks plan to sign former All-Star point guard Kemba Walker and waive Facundo Campazzo, according to Marc Stein. Dallas initially tried to sign Walker as a free agent in 2019. He wound up joining the Boston Celtics instead, but things didn’t exact go according to plan. 

After an All-Star season in which the Celtics came two wins short of the Finals, Walker struggled to stay healthy in Boston. He was traded to Oklahoma City with a first-round pick for Al Horford before getting waived and signing with the New York Knicks. His homecoming started out promisingly, but he was eventually relegated from the rotation. He was traded to Detroit in the offseason as a cap dumping maneuver and has struggled to find a home since.

But Dallas, on paper, presents the perfect theoretical opportunity for him. The Mavericks desperately need ball-handling after losing Jalen Brunson as a free agent this offseason. Their offense falls off of a cliff whenever Luka Doncic sits out, and defenses can completely key in on him as the only reliable shot-creating threat for a Mavericks team that has lost four in a row and just slipped below .500 to 9-10. Creating shots was Walker’s best skill at his peak, and he comes to Dallas seemingly on a minimum-salary contract.

Walker is still only 32 years old. He has struggled to stay healthy in recent years, but it’s worth noting that Walker averaged 19.3 points per game only two seasons ago. He may not be his old self, but the Mavericks are betting he still has some good basketball left in the tank. Considering how poorly the rest of their team has played offensively, it’s hard to imagine Walker making things worse.