A Case For Michael Kidd-Gilchrist To Resume His NBA Career

Having been out of the headlines for some months, former NBA forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist reappeared in the news cycle recently, but not for playing. He appeared in the crowd at a Kentucky Wildcats game, his alma mater,

This appearance taken in conjunction with similar ones last season – in which Kidd-Gilchrist spoke of how he is not prioritising playing like he once would have done – gives off the distinct impression that he may be done with the game. In the 2021 stories, Kidd-Gilchrist expressly said he was not retiring; however, with 17 more months of basketball unemployment having gone past since he last said that, it is starting to look as though some time away may have turned into a permanent shift.

If so, it is an unusual move. These should be MKG’s prime years, as he is still not 30 for nine more months. However, since starting 74 games in the 2017-18 season, Kidd-Gilchrist has barely been able to get a minute in the NBA, and has not signed in any other league at any point.

The following season, the Charlotte Hornets finally moved him out of the lineup after six years as a starter, and he recorded 1,179 minutes that reason in 64 appearances, all but three of which came off the bench. He was reasonably effective in this relief role, but the following season was bought out by the Hornets of the final season of his large second contract, and played only spot minutes of 12 more games in the final stages of the abridged 2019/20 season on a minimum salary contract with the Dallas Mavericks. And that, to date, has been that.