Ex-Knick Kemba Walker joins France’s AS Monaco in shift to European basketball

Kemba Walker will be joining one of the best clubs in Europe for the 2023-24 season.

The four-time NBA All-Star, who grew up in the Bronx and played one season for the Knicks, will be signing to France’s AS Monaco, according to several reports, including one from SNY’s Ian Begley.

The 6-foot guard has struggled with knee injuries since joining the Boston Celtics ahead of the 2019-20 season, where he replaced Kyrie Irving.

Walker, who only played nine games in the 2022-23 season with the Dallas Mavericks before being waived on Jan. 6, averaged 8.0 points and 2.1 assists in his brief stint in Texas.

He did manage to have a vintage performance on Dec. 17, scoring 32 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers, his highest-scoring output in nearly one calendar year.

Kemba Walker played nine games with the Dallas Mavericks during the 2022-23 season.

Walker spent his 2021-22 season in a troubled role with the Knicks, where he returned home but was limited to 37 appearances — all starts — in which he recorded 11.6 points, 3.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game and shot nearly 37 percent on 3-pointers.

The shifty guard exploded for 44 points in a game against the Washington Wizards on Dec. 23 of that season, his largest single-game output in over two years.

Kemba Walker spent his 2021-22 campaign with the New York Knicks.

Walker’s new team is coming off a historical campaign.

Led by former Brooklyn Nets guard Mike James, AS Monaco won their first French Cup and French Pro A league championships in franchise history during the 2022-23 season, sweeping the Victor Wembanyama-led Metropolitans 92 in the final.

The club also reached their first-ever EuroLeague Final Four, a tournament featuring the most prestigious level of competition away from the NBA.

At his peak, Kemba Walker was considered one of the best point guards in the NBA.

Kemba Walker's new team, AS Monaco (black uniform) swept 2023 No. 1 overall NBA Draft Pick Victor Wembanyama (1) and Metropolitans 92 in the French League Finals. — Kemba Walker’s new team, AS Monaco (black uniform), swept 2023 No. 1 overall NBA Draft Pick Victor Wembanyama (1) and Metropolitans 92 in the French League Finals.

At his peak, Walker was one of the most dynamic guards in the world, posting 22.6 points, 5.4 assists, and 1.2 steals per contest from 2015-2020, a stretch that included four consecutive All-Star team honors.

Walker, who was also named to the 2018-19 All-NBA third-team, also famously led the UConn Huskies to the Big East and National Championships in the March of 2011.