Another former Los Angeles Lakers player has found a new home. On Wednesday, NBA insider Shams Charania reported that Lonnie Walker IV signed a one-year, $3.3 million contract with the Western Conference rival Denver Nuggets.
Walker, 27, last played in the NBA in the 2024-25 season. Since then, he had been in the EuroLeague playing on a multi-year deal for Maccabi Tel Aviv, Charania noted.
When he was last in the NBA, Walker played for the Philadelphia 76ers. In 20 games played, he averaged 12 points and played 24 minutes per game.
Former Los Angeles Lakers Player Returns to NBA
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 23: Lonnie Walker IV #4 of the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on February 23, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
It may feel like Walker has been around for a while, but he’s relatively young and could still improve in the NBA.
A former first round pick, Walker, who was named to the ACC All-Freshmen Team in the 2017-18 season, entered the NBA selected by the San Antonio Spurs with modest expectations. As a rookie playing on a Spurs team that had just traded franchise star Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors, Walker swayed between the NBA and G League, appearing in 17 games as a standard contracted player. By his third season, Walker started to come into his own, averaging over 11 points per game and developing a dependable 3-point shot.
The Moment Lakers Fans Will Always Remember
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 12: Lonnie Walker IV #4 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates his three point basket next to Donte DiVincenzo #0 of the Golden State Warriors during the third quarter in game six of the Western Conference Semifinal Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on May 12, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
In the following offseason, Walker signed a one-year, nearly $7 million contract to join LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook on the Lakers.
After a mediocre first half of the season, the Lakers turned it around post All-Star break and were suddenly angling for a deep playoff run.
In the Western Conference semifinals against the defending champion Golden State Warriors, the Lakers were victorious in six games, with Walker playing the game of his life in Game 4 of the series.
In that game, Walker — who began the season as a starter but gradually slipped out of the rotation due to injuries — was held scoreless for the first three quarters. In the final frame, the then 24-year-old guard rattled off 15 points while shooting 6-for-9 from the field, giving the Lakers a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.
That’ll forever be remembered as the “Lonnie Walker IV game” in Laker land.
Walker now returns to the NBA after a brief stint overseas and joins a Denver team looking to rediscover its position in a tough Western Conference.
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