Lonnie Walker IV is a beloved player in Los Angeles Lakers folklore. His fourth quarter takeover in Game 4 of the second-round series against the Golden State Warriors during the 2023 NBA Playoffs is still fresh in the memories of many. That made him joining the Denver Nuggets this offseason a bit of a sore spot.
The Nuggets had a putrid offseason in 2026. In their search to salvage something of it, they gave Walker a shot at an NBA comeback after he spent a couple of seasons overseas. In the sense of seeing him revive his NBA career, Lakers fans would have been happy for him. It just would have been nice to see it happen somewhere other than Denver.
In a monkey's paw type of wish, such could be the case. If Walker is going to find his way back to an end-of-bench spot in the league, it will not be with the Nuggets. Michael Scotto and several others reported Denver is waiving the former Laker from his non-guaranteed deal.
Marc Stein added that Walker is eyeing a move back overseas after his unsuccessful attempt to join the Nuggets. The NBA insider noted that Lonnie hired Misko Raznatovic to try and help him find work elsewhere. It is fair to wonder if that is the final NBA-related chapter of his journey.
Lonnie Walker is moving back overseas to hoop and he may not be back
Walker is still only 27 years old. That certainly makes him young enough to try his hand once more at an NBA comeback after failing this time around. A strong season in the EuroLeague, or elsewhere, could help him garner interest from another NBA team in the future.
It is more than fair to wonder if this was his best shot, though. The Nuggets had all sorts of cap issues this summer. That equated to not only lacking the means to improve the roster, but they willingly accepted getting worse.
That team was in need of cheap contributors who could make an impact. In his short time with the franchise, Walker was unable to convince the Nuggets he could provide that much.
More importantly, Denver desperately needed athletes. That should have given Walker a strong chance to stick around with the Nuggets. As has been made obvious, it did not take.
Lakers fans will wish nothing but the best for the guy who once helped them steal a playoff game in memorable fashion. That future may just be capped at a successful career abroad, at this point.
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