"A foggy situation": In the USA, there is confusion regarding Lonnie Walker's deal with Denver
Signed for one season or just for training camp? The ex-Maccabi Tel Aviv player is confusing the local media: "One can only speculate. Maybe something else is brewing there."
In the United States, there was confusion this evening (Friday) regarding the signing of Lonnie Walker by Denver. As recalled, senior journalist Shams Charania initially reported that the former Maccabi Tel Aviv player was added on a one-year contract with a salary of 3.3 million dollars per season, but later, team reporter Bennett Durando claimed that the guard was signed solely for training camp.
"It doesn't really make sense for Walker to give up a contract that brings him money overseas, unless he wants to return to the NBA so badly that he is willing to bet on himself. Or perhaps he was told that roster changes are expected with the goal of reducing payroll, and that eventually a spot will open up for him? It is clear that Shams' source was quite reliable, as the information came from Walker's agent. Is it possible that the agent accidentally let something slip regarding the Nuggets' plans?" wondered the "NagLab" blog.
According to the blog covering the team, Denver is trying to save money to get below the "second apron," and within these attempts, it is not impossible that they will give up on certain rotation players. In such a case, it is possible that Walker will be the backup: "Maybe Walker is a backup plan in case Julian Strawther is included in some deal, since he is eligible for a contract extension and the Nuggets might not be interested in extending him? Is Walker the depth backup plan at the wing positions, as a player who can produce points, in case the Nuggets trade Peyton Watson for draft assets only?"
In the blog, they claimed that "at the moment, it is a foggy and messy situation, and in the absence of clarifications, we are left only to speculate about what is happening behind the scenes. Maybe something else is brewing. Otherwise, Walker simply took a very big gamble on himself when he decided to come for tryouts with the Nuggets."
Walker last played in the NBA for the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2024/25 season, where he averaged 12.4 points, and he is now entering his eighth season in the league. Walker, who was selected in the first round of the 2018 draft, spent his first four years in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs, and he holds a career average of 10.0 points per game. Last year, he recorded 15.2 points and 2.5 rebounds per game for Maccabi Tel Aviv.
