Knicks open against Celts, face Hawks on Christmas

It won’t take long for Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier to face their old team. The Knicks are opening their season at home against the Celtics on Oct. 20 in a battle between playoff contenders, the NBA announced Tuesday, . Walker revealed Tuesday that he was traded by Boston while vacationing in June, which ended his stint just two seasons into a four-year contract. They peaked with an Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 2020, but disappointed last season and bombed in the first round against the Nets.

When Brad Stevens moved from coach to team president, his first move was to unload Walker to OKC for Al Horford. “I definitely felt like Boston believed in me, but they traded me,” Walker said.

Fournier was acquired by the Celtics in March but they decided he was too pricey to re-sign. The Knicks gave Fournier four years, $78 million, with the final season being a team option. The transaction was a signand-trade with the Celtics, and the Knicks also bought a second-round pick.

Fournier agreed to the deal while playing for France in the Olympics.

The opener will be at 7:30 and nationally televised. The Knicks will also return to the Christmas schedule with a noon matchup against the Hawks, the league announced.

TAJ GETS PAID

With the free-agency market dried up, the Knicks are rewarding Taj Gibson.

The center’s contract has been renegotiated from a minimum one-year deal to a two-year pact worth more than $10 million, according to ESPN. The second season probably isn’t guaranteed, but either way it’s nearly double his salary from the original agreement.