Sources: Mavs to sign Kemba to boost backcourt

The Dallas Mavericks mean to motion seasoned defender Kemba Walker to code their glaring request for different creator successful Luka Doncic's supporting cast, sources confirmed to ESPN.

Dallas volition waive reserve constituent defender Facundo Campazzo, whose declaration is nonguaranteed, to make an unfastened roster spot for Walker, sources said.

Walker, 31, a four-time All-Star whose vocation has derailed by genu issues, has been a escaped cause since being waived by the Detroit Pistons successful mid-October. He averaged 11.6 points and 3.5 assists successful 37 games past play for the New York Knicks, who traded him to the Pistons connected draught nighttime successful a cost-cutting determination that helped make the wage headdress for New York to motion erstwhile Mavericks defender Jalen Brunson successful escaped agency.

Dallas, which fell to 9-10 aft an 0-3 roadworthy travel that wrapped up with Sunday's nonaccomplishment to the Milwaukee Bucks, has missed the scoring and playmaking provided by Brunson during past season's tally to the Western Conference finals.

Doncic is starring the NBA successful scoring with 33.1 points per game, but opponents are progressively trapping and double-teaming him to unit the shot retired of his hands, daring his teammates to bushed them. The Mavs person struggled to people erstwhile Doncic rests, averaging lone 104.0 points per 100 possession erstwhile helium is disconnected the floor. They are 0-6 erstwhile helium doesn't people 30 points, including a nonaccomplishment to the Houston Rockets erstwhile Doncic did not play owed to rest.

The Mavs attempted to motion Walker to a maximum declaration successful 2019 escaped agency, but helium opted to judge an identical connection from the Boston Celtics. He averaged 22.8 points and 5.6 assists successful 2 injury-marred seasons for the Celtics, who traded Walker and a first-round prime to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Al Horford. Walker received a buyout from the Thunder, allowing him to motion a two-year woody with the Knicks.

Walker's tenure with the Knicks unofficially ended during the All-Star break, erstwhile the squad announced that helium would nary longer play for them. He sat retired the last 2 months of the season.

Walker has been grooming successful Florida this play portion awaiting an accidental to motion with an NBA team.

"I'm conscionable making definite I'm right, making definite I'm ready, making definite I'm acceptable for whenever idiosyncratic gives maine that call," Walker said during an quality connected "The Woj Pod" earlier this month. "I conscionable cognize that I person the quality to assistance someone, to assistance a team. I cognize I tin inactive play hoops astatine a precocious level."

Substack was the archetypal to study the Mavs' plans to motion Walker.