Given their lack of cap space, the Los Angeles Lakers had limited resources to improve their roster last summer. Outside of minimum contracts, they only had a taxpayer mid-level exception at their disposal which they used to sign former San Antonio Spurs guard Lonnie Walker IV.
The former No. 18 overall pick was never able to find his groove in San Antonio, but the Lakers saw his potential and brought the 24-year-old in on a one-year contract.
The signing proved to be a good one as Walker earned a starting spot during training camp and was one of their best players in the first half of the season before going down with an injury.
Unfortunately for Walker, that injury essentially cost him his spot in the Lakers’ rotation for a majority of the second half of the season after the trade deadline. Overall 56 regular season games (32 starts), Walker averaged 11.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting 44.8% from the field and 36.5% from 3-point range.
After beginning the postseason out of the rotation, Walker finally got an opportunity in Game 4 of the second round against the Golden State Warriors and made the most of it with 15 fourth-quarter points to lead L.A. to a big win.
He remained in the rotation for the rest of the playoffs, which helped build his value back up before testing free agency again this summer.
It appears that helped as, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Walker is signing with the Brooklyn Nets.
Free agent Lonnie Walker has agreed to a one year deal with the Brooklyn Nets, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul and agent Lucas Newton tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2023
Walker was projected to get somewhere around $4-7 million in free agency, but this deal is reportedly to be for the minimum. Walker was a fan-favorite during his lone season in L.A. so it sucks to see him go, but this is unquestionably a great opportunity for him to earn a big role that he wouldn’t have had with the Lakers.
The Lakers have a very guard-heavy roster after signing Gabe Vincent in free agency and will want to have minutes for guys like Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell not that they’re returning, which is why Walker seemingly was not a priority in free agency.
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