Kemba Walker likely to be away from Pistons to start camp

Veteran point guard Kemba Walker will likely be away from the Pistons as they start their training camp this week, sources told Shams Charania and James Edwards III of The Athletic. It’s unclear whether Walker is expected to miss the entire camp or only a portion of it.

As Charania and Edwards note, Detroit must waive or trade a player by Oct. 17 to be at the league limit for standard roster spots entering the regular season. That player doesn’t have to be Walker, of course, but at this stage in his career, it would make sense for him to join a contending team if possible.

On the flip side, it could also make sense for Detroit to move on from Walker. The team would benefit from his veteran leadership in the low chance he’s interested in staying, but the 32-year-old is set to make $9.17M this season and become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Walker averaged 11.6 points and 3.5 assists in 25.6 minutes with the Knicks last season, starting in all 37 of his games. He hasn’t played off the bench since four outings during the 2014-15 campaign. Despite being an offensive force in his career, Walker’s defense was notably porous with New York. The four-time All-Star must prove he can survive on both ends before earning a significant role with a team again.