San Antonio Spurs guard Lonnie Walker IV has signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers worth $6.5 million. While the Spurs originally extended a qualifying offer to the young guard but pulled it just before the free agent period was set to begin. The Los Angeles Lakers jumped on the opportunity and signed Walker IV with their mid-level exception. Los Angeles also signed small forward Troy Brown Jr., forward Juan Toscano-Anderson, and center Damian Jones to veteran minimum deals. Walker IV figures to be a key rotational player for Los Angeles this season.
Free agent Lonnie Walker IV has agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022
Last season with the San Antonio Spurs, Lonnie Walker IV averaged 12.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game in 23 minutes per game. He paired those numbers with a field goal percentage of 40.7 percent and a three-point percentage of 31.4 percent. He is a promising young guard that never truly carved out a consistent role with the San Antonio Spurs. It is unclear why the team decided to pull his qualifying offer other than the obvious plan for the franchise to begin a new rebuild in earnest.
The Spurs are pulling the qualifying offer on Lonnie Walker IV, making him an unrestricted free agent, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Expect a strong market for Walker immediately.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022
Malik Monk spent last season with the Los Angeles Lakers and improved his stock around the NBA. Lonnie Walker IV will now get a chance to do the same, for more money, and play alongside Lebron James. The Los Angeles Lakers want to win an NBA Championship and Walker IV could help them do that if things work out this season.
