{"id":91507,"date":"2024-08-20T18:24:08","date_gmt":"2024-08-20T22:24:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=91507"},"modified":"2024-08-20T18:24:08","modified_gmt":"2024-08-20T22:24:08","slug":"nba-free-agency-former-laker-lonnie-walker-iv-still-available-for-la-to-pursue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/08\/20\/nba-free-agency-former-laker-lonnie-walker-iv-still-available-for-la-to-pursue\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA Free Agency: Former Laker Still Available for LA to Pursue"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/08\/14\/lakers-add-two-young-players-to-training-camp-roster-quincy-olivari-kylor-kelley\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Los Angeles Lakers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have spent the last two months with, by and large, the same roster from last season. Though they re-signed core players and added two promising rookies, it\u2019s clear that LA needs sufficient support behind <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jamesle01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LeBron James<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/davisan02.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anthony Davis<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Luckily, there are several players still waiting for their next opportunity, and the Lakers may be an ideal fit for one of them.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>NBA Free Agency: Former Laker Still Available for LA to Pursue<\/h2>\n<h3><b>Background<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6\u20194\u201d shooting guard <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/walkelo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lonnie Walker IV<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> remains unsigned after a solid campaign off the bench for the Brooklyn Nets. The 26-year-old made his feelings known in a recent post to X, formerly known as Twitter:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Never on your time. Always on Gods divine timing. Stay the course your journey can never be replicated. Enjoy YOUR marathon. The outcome will be far greater than what you ever expected. Don\u2019t get to low or too high \ud83d\ude4f\ud83c\udffe<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Lonnie Walker IV (@lonniewalker_4) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/lonniewalker_4\/status\/1825983408436105492?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 20, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His comments led several Laker fans to plead for a purple and gold reunion.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Always welcome in purple and gold \ud83d\udfe3\ud83d\udfe1Skywalker \ud83e\udee1<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; JCX (@JCX) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JCX\/status\/1825987869011317077?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 20, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Demand to go to the Lakers<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; The Lakers Cycle (@Jgoody0824) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Jgoody0824\/status\/1825990647792214299?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 20, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">RT IF THE LAKERS SHOULD BRING BACK THE SKYWALKER <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/OvmMLodPoM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/OvmMLodPoM<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Q9DadVJHeX\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/Q9DadVJHeX<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LakersLead\/status\/1825988035168666107?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 20, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Walker signed with the Lakers for the 2022-23 season on a one-year, $6.4 million deal. In 56 games (32 starts), he averaged 11.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.5 steals per game on .448\/.365\/.858 splits. He went on to sign a one-year, minimum contract with the Brooklyn Nets, where he put up 9.7 points (.423\/384\/.763 splits), 2.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists across 58 games\u2014all off the bench as their \u201csixth man.&#8221; Despite his contributions, however, Walker was <a  href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/nets-lonnie-walker-iv-not-140024574.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">not a finalist<\/a> for the Sixth Man of the Year award, <a  href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBAPR\/status\/1783266894952218706?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1783266894952218706%7Ctwgr%5Ee9ae042335cb0562e5e3e7ad7dfcbff2116bc215%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nba.com%2Fnews%2Fkia-nba-sixth-man-2023-24-naz-reid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">finishing outside the top-12 in final voting tallies<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Should the Lakers Reunite with Walker IV?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Lakers should definitely consider a reunion with Lonnie Walker IV. Despite his <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nba\/nets\/news\/lonnie-walker-ivs-mentality-when-faced-with-injury-issues\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">injuries<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, he was an effective role player for the Nets and was recently named <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.bleacherreport.com\/articles\/10131106-landing-spots-for-nbas-best-free-agents-still-available\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">one of the best remaining free agents available<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Bleacher Report. It\u2019s also clear that Laker fans miss having Walker IV around, and he feels the same way.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\u201cI miss y\u2019all\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Lonnie Walker to a Laker fan \ud83e\udd79 <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/dV0algY1pE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/dV0algY1pE<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LADEig\/status\/1749199269767397433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January 21, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Walker\u2019s time in LA was marked by several highlights, but he\u2019s most likely remembered for his fourth quarter takeover against the Golden State Warriors in the second round of the 2023 playoffs. He scored all 15 of his points in the final frame on 6\/9 shooting from the field.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Lonnie Walker IV Drops 15 PTS In The 4TH QTR Of Lakers Game 4 W! | May 8, 2023\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/occnDWIKFW4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Walker ended that playoff run averaging 6.2 points per game on .483\/.382\/.750 splits. Despite playing 14 minutes a night, he remained a key piece off the bench as the Lakers advanced to the Western Conference Finals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the Brooklyn Nets heading into rebuild mode, it\u2019s safe to assume contenders will be vying for Walker\u2019s services, even this late into free agency. Given Walker\u2019s scoring ability, fan-favorite status and familiarity with LA\u2019s two stars, it\u2019s nearly a no-brainer that the Lakers give him another shot. As things stand now, he would best fit off the bench behind presumed starter <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/r\/reaveau01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Austin Reaves<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014allowing <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/chrisma02.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Max Christie<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to play on the wing. He would once again help LA\u2019s guard depth with his athleticism and shooting, likely doing so on a team-friendly contract.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>Possible Next Steps<\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As for what it would take to sign Walker, the Lakers have to part ways with one of their <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.spotrac.com\/nba\/los-angeles-lakers\/cap\/_\/year\/2024\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">minimum-contract players<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to free up a roster spot and remain under the second apron. Potential candidates in this case could include <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hoodsja01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jalen Hood-Schifino<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/r\/reddica01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cam Reddish<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Hood-Schifino, the 17th pick of last year&#8217;s draft, dealt with knee and back injuries for most of his rookie campaign, the latter of which led to <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.silverscreenandroll.com\/2024\/3\/21\/24108169\/jalen-hood-schifino-lakers-injury-report-back-lumbar-microdiscectomy-surgery\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">offseason back surgery<\/a>. Reddish, who <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nba\/lakers\/news\/how-cam-reddishs-injury-impacts-lakers-trade-deadline-ml0802\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">dealt with persistent knee and ankle injuries<\/a> over the course of last season, averaged 5.4 points across 48 games while shooting 39% from the field and 33% from three.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Los Angeles Lakers have spent the last two months with, by and large, the same roster from last season. Though they re-signed core players and added two promising rookies, it\u2019s clear that LA needs sufficient support behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Luckily, there are several players still waiting for their next opportunity, and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4265,"featured_media":81804,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,6,26,62],"tags":[49059,240,4556,1683,4907,38,4652,4916,4557],"class_list":["post-91507","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-nets","category-lakers","category-nba","tag-2024-nba-free-agents","tag-anthony-davis","tag-austin-reaves","tag-cam-reddish","tag-jalen-hood-schifino","tag-lebron-james","tag-lonnie-walker-iv","tag-max-christie","tag-nba-offseason"],"modified_by":"Jordan Pagkalinawan","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91507","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4265"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91507"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91507\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91507"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91507"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91507"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}