The Knicks are expected to let Giddens walk, and they'll see if there is any use for House in a sign-and-trade package between July 1 and July 8 and renounce his rights if there isn't. New York holds a Aug. 1 team option on Walker's $854,389 salary for 2010-11, meaning he will be playing for his job in the Las Vegas Summer League. D'Antoni has said a big factor will be whether Walker sheds some weight.
Did Walker have weight issues in Boston? I don't remember that being something that stood out to me, he always seemed to be a naturally big but athletic guy.
It was never publicized, but he was clearly out of shape for a while after coming back from the surgery, and to me he clearly looked a couple steps slower because of it. I think he had shed a decent amount of it by the time he started getting on the floor, and then at the trade deadline, but even in NY, he was a good deal heavier than he was last season.
He basically went back to how he was in college (he also was recovering from a knee injury), and didn't shed it until he was training for the draft workouts. He certainly has an excuse for putting on weight after the injuries, but I can see how a team would be concerned with a guy who always seems to get hurt, and then compounds that by taking months to shed the weight, effectively extending the rehab.
