For the second year in a row, Lonnie Walker IV is on the unrestricted free agent market. Walker somewhat surprisingly was able to choose any team he wanted last offseason due to the San Antonio Spurs rescinding the qualifying offer, which led to the former first-round pick coming to terms on a 1-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Walker had an up-and-down year in Los Angeles, one which saw him provide a scoring punch in the starting lineup, miss an extended period of time due to a knee issue, and struggle to consistently make his way back into the rotation after the team’s high-profile midseason overhaul. It did end on a bit of a high note, though, as he 13 of the team’s 16 games in the playoffs, which included a 15-point performance against the Golden State Warriors in the second round that helped put the Lakers in the driver’s seat of the series.
Now, Walker is once again free to choose where he’s going to play his basketball, and on Sunday he agreed to a one-year deal to join the Brooklyn Nets as they have shuffled their roster and look to make another playoff run this season.
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 appeared in 56 games for the Lakers with 32 of them coming in the starting lineup during the 2022-23 campaign. He averaged 11.7 points in 23.2 minutes per game while shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from three. Walker’s hope this free agency was to find a team he could join that would be a playoff contender, and he’ll join a Nets team looking to remain just that after re-signing Cam Johnson and making some trades to shed veteran salaries — opening up minutes at the two-guard spot they’ll hope Walker can help fill.
