Kemba Walker Knicks Contract: How Much Will He Earn Next Season?

Veteran point guard Kemba Walker has reportedly agreed to a contract buyout with the Oklahoma City Thunder and plans to join the New York Knicks. Here's how much he stands to make in the upcoming season.

News of the Thunder buying out the final two years and $74 million on Walker's contract was first reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The former Charlotte and Boston guard's deal with the Knicks will become official after he clears waivers, the report said.

The New York native is expected to sign a contract with the Knicks that would pay him an annual salary of $8 million, Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer reported.

The 31-year-old was traded by the Boston Celtics to the Thunder just last month. The deal also sent Al Horford and Moses Brown, as well as a 2023 second-round pick, to the Celtics in exchange for their No. 16 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft and a 2025 second-round pick.

In 2019, Walker signed a contract with the Celtics worth $140.8 million for four years. He was acquired by the Celtics through a sign-and-trade deal with the Charlotte Hornets that sent Terry Rozier to Charlotte.

Walker was drafted No. 9 overall by the Charlotte Bobcats in 2011 and played for the team, now known as the Hornets, until the 2017-18 season.

His first contract with Charlotte paid him about $2 million per year from 2011 to 2015. His salary got a big boost after the 2014-15 season, and he received more than $12 million a year between 2015 to 2019, as per Spotrac.

In his final three seasons with the Charlotte Hornets from 2017 to 2019, as well as his first season with the Celtics in 2020, Walker made the All-Star team.

As of this year, the NBA star has an estimated net worth of $20 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Walker also has various endorsements that contribute to his massive net worth. earning around $3 million annually from his off-court deals, according to Forbes. When he started his NBA career, he endorsed Under Armour, but he signed with Nike's Jordan Brand in 2015.

Forbes also listed him as one of the highest-paid athletes in the world in 2020 with earnings of $27.6 million.

Walker’s transition to the Knicks comes with the hopes of coming back from what many consider his worst NBA season. He missed many games in the 2020 calendar year after suffering an injury to his left knee. The point guard later had another, unrelated injury to his left knee after averaging 19.3 points and 4.9 assists while playing only 43 games, ESPN reported.