All-Star guard Walker returning home as Knick
A decade into his NBA career, Kemba Walker is heading home.
The four-time All-Star point guard will sign with the New York Knicks after agreeing to a buyout with the Oklahoma City Thunder, a person with knowledge of the situation said Wednesday.
Walker — who was born in the Bronx — and the Thunder had been working on the buyout parameters in recent days, according to the person who spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal is not finalized.
Walker, 31, is owed nearly $74 million for the next two seasons, including a $37.6 million option that he held for 2022-23. He never played for the Thunder, who acquired him in a trade with Boston in June in the deal that sent Al Horford back to the Celtics.
The move is a bit of a risk for the Knicks given Walker’s knee issues, which date back to his time with the Charlotte Hornets.
He had injury problems in the seeding round of the 2020 playoffs in the Florida bubble but bounced back to help lead the Celtics to the Eastern Conference finals. Walker had stem cell treatment on his left knee last December and was limited to 43 games this past season. He was also limited in Boston’s first-round playoff exit against Brooklyn, missing the final two games of the series with a bone bruise in the same knee.
• Power forward John Collins, a key player in Atlanta’s unexpected run to the Eastern Conference finals, agreed to a five-year, $125 million contract to remain with the Hawks, the AP reported.
The deal includes a fifthyear option for Collins.
Atlanta’s agreement with Collins secures another key player to a longterm deal after point guard Trae Young agreed to a five-year, $207 million rookie extension on Tuesday. The deal with Young begins in 2022.
• The Philadelphia 76ers signed nine-year veteran center Andre Drummond. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Drummond joins Philadelphia after splitting the 2020-21 season with Cleveland and the Lakers.
The 6-foot-10, 279-pound Drummond, a two-time All-Star, appeared in 46 games (all starts) last season and averaged 14.9 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks in 27 minutes per outing.
• The Washington Wizards agreed to a $62 million, three-year sign-andtrade deal with guard Spencer Dinwiddie. The 6-foot-5 Dinwiddie joins a backcourt that’s being vacated by Russell Westbrook after Washington agreed to deal Westbrook to the Lakers.
• The Utah Jazz agreed to acquire power forward Eric Paschall from the Warriors, sending a protected future second-round draft pick to Golden State in the swap. The Warriors will get a second-round draft pick via Memphis for 2026.
• Veteran former NBA coach Mike D’Antoni joined the New Orleans Pelicans as a coaching adviser and Jarron Collins was hired as an assistant coach, the club announced.
The moves come on the heels of the Pelicans’ decision to hire Willie Green as their third head coach in three seasons.
D’Antoni, who was an assistant with Brooklyn last season, has compiled a 672-527 record as a head coach with Denver, Phoenix, New York, the Lakers and Houston.
Collins has been an assistant with Golden State the past seven seasons.
The Jets are Johnson’s 14th NFL team. He spent last season with San Francisco, where current Jets coach Robert Saleh was the defensive coordinator. It’s Johnson’s second stint with New York, with whom he was in camp in 2015.
• The Chicago Bears signed veteran linebacker Alec Ogletree to a one-year contract.