The Philadelphia 76ers are in need of changes to boost their performance this 2024-25 NBA season. The team has struggled to meet expectations, partly due to recurring injury concerns with key players such as Joel Embiid and Paul George. To address this, the franchise has agreed to hire a former teammate of LeBron James, who has been playing in Europe recently.
According to ESPN‘s Shams Charania, Lonnie Walker IV will join the Sixers for the critical stage of the season as they aim to improve their standing and secure a spot in the NBA Playoffs. The reported terms of the deal include a two-year contract with a total salary of $3 million.
Walker had departed the NBA in October after the Boston Celtics waived him just two months after signing him, without him making his official debut. Following that, the guard joined Zalgiris Kaunas in the Lithuanian Basketball League, where he also competed in the EuroLeague.
With the Lithuanian side, the shooting guard played 19 EuroLeague games, 15 of them as a starter. He posted solid numbers, averaging 13.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. However, he was able to leave the Lithuanian club mid-season due to an NBA-out clause in his contract.
Walker seeks new NBA opportunity
After an unexpected exit from the league following the Boston Celtics’ decision to waive him just days before the start of the 2024-25 regular season, Lonnie Walker IV now has a fresh opportunity to prove himself on an NBA court.
This will be Walker’s seventh season in the league, which includes his time with the San Antonio Spurs from 2018 to 2022, where he posted some of the best numbers of his career. He also had a brief stint with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2022-23 season, where he played alongside LeBron James, and a less prominent role with the Brooklyn Nets the following year.
An interesting addition for the 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers have faced difficulties this season in terms of both individual and team performances, falling short of expectations. The Big Three they envisioned—Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey—has yet to fully materialize, mainly due to Embiid’s injury issues and George‘s inconsistency. Maxey has, however, emerged as the team’s mainstay in the midst of these struggles.
With the addition of Lonnie Walker IV, head coach Nick Nurse will gain another option in the backcourt. If Walker performs well, he could push for minutes over Kelly Oubre Jr., or even allow Oubre to shift to small forward, providing Nurse with more flexibility and options on the court.