Lonnie Walker Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Maccabi Tel Aviv Announces Signing Of Lonnie Walker IV

August 4th, 2025 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Lonnie Walker IV, who finished last season with the Sixers, has officially joined Maccabi Tel Aviv. The Israeli club issued a statement on Monday announcing the three-year deal.

“We are extremely proud to welcome Lonnie Walker IV to our family,” general manager Claudio Coldebella said. “Bringing a talent of this caliber to Tel Aviv, a player that was drafted and tested in the NBA, is a strong and clear signal of our ambition to compete at the highest levels and excite our fans. Lonnie’s arrival is not an isolated move but the perfect fit of another valuable piece in the mosaic we are composing with vision and strategy.

“We are building a team with a clear identity, founded on talent, character, and ambition. The resilience he has demonstrated throughout his career fits perfectly with the work ethic and determination that are the pillars of the yellow-and-blue organization. His work ethic is the guarantee of an athlete who is never satisfied but who strives in every way to achieve his goals. Improve personally and help the entire group grow.”

Walker’s agreement with Maccabi Tel Aviv was first reported nearly two weeks ago. His contract reportedly has a total value of around $10MM and includes NBA exit clauses for 2026 and 2027 until July 15 of each year.

Walker spent part of last season in the EuroLeague with Zalgiris Kaunas after Boston waived him in October. He reportedly received a two-year offer from Hapoel Tel Aviv and drew interest from Real Madrid as well.

The 26-year-old shooting guard had a productive stretch after signing with Philadelphia in February. In 20 games, he averaged a career-high 12.4 points, along with 3.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists, while shooting 42% from the field and 35.4% from three-point range.

He became a free agent when the Sixers declined his $2.9MM option in late June.

“Lonnie is a great player with exceptional talent,” Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Oded Kattash said. “The experience he gained in the NBA and his familiarity with Europe and the EuroLeague will help us a lot. He is a competitive player with a big hunger for success. I am sure he will quickly connect to our DNA and lead us to success.”

Lonnie Walker IV To Join Maccabi Tel Aviv

July 24th, 2025 at 12:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

12:57pm: Walker’s contract is for three years and approximately $10MM, according to Urbonas. It includes an NBA exit clause until Aug. 1 for this season and exit clauses for 2026 and 2027 until July 15 of those years.

12:19pm: Free agent forward Lonnie Walker IV is signing with Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv, NBA insider Marc Stein tweets.

The Sixers declined their $2.9MM option on the 26-year-old at the end of last month, making him an unrestricted free agent. Terms of the contract are yet to be disclosed but he’ll be one of the highest paid players in the EuroLeague, according to Stein. It will be a multiyear contract, Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com tweets.

Interestingly, Walker was linked to another Israeli club this month. He reportedly received a two-year offer from Hapoel Tel Aviv. Real Madrid also showed interest in Walker.

Walker was productive for the injury-riddled Sixers during the second half of the season. He appeared in 20 games and averaged 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists. However, Philadelphia had major salary cap concerns heading into free agency, which undoubtedly factored into the front office’s decision.

After being waived by Boston just before the start of last season, Walker spent time with Zalgiris Kaunas in the EuroLeague while awaiting his next NBA opportunity. He signed a two-year contract with Philadelphia in late February.

Prior to his stint with the Sixers, Walker appeared in 322 regular season games with the Spurs, Lakers, and Nets from 2018-24.

Free Agent Notes: Thomas, Wong, Walker, Theis

July 18th, 2025 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

Expanding on his earlier reporting on restricted free agent guard Cam Thomas, Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscriber link) says he has heard from three sources that there may not be resolution on the situation anytime soon. The Nets are the only NBA team with cap room remaining and continue to explore options for how to use that space. Until that happens, they’ll likely be in no rush to lock up Thomas to a new deal, and his camp isn’t pressing the issue either.

On top of that, there may be a substantial gap between how the two sides value Thomas. As Lewis writes, a source familiar with the guard’s thinking believes he could be seeking $30MM per year, since he doesn’t consider himself to be a lesser player than Immanuel Quickley (who is earning $32.5MM per year going forward), Tyler Herro ($32MM per year), or RJ Barrett ($28.7MM per year).

However, the Nets likely won’t consider a deal anywhere near that lucrative, especially with no rival suitors in position to offer Thomas a significant offer sheet. Two league sources who spoke to Lewis wondered if the 23-year-old might ultimately accept his $6MM qualifying offer in order to reach unrestricted free agency in 2026, though that would likely be a last resort.

Here are a few more notes on free agents from around the basketball world:

CSE, an agency representing basketball players, held a pro day in Las Vegas on Tuesday of this week, according to Spencer Davies of RG.org, who says a number of teams were in attendance to watch players with past NBA experience, like Isaiah Wong, Izaiah Brockington, and Chasson Randle. G League and international veterans like center Garrison Brooks and wing Pedro Bradshaw also took part and have drawn some interest as potential NBA training camp signees, Davies adds.
Wong has had “productive” discussions with the Jazz, Davies reports. The 24-year-old guard was in camp with Utah last fall and opened the season with the Salt Lake City Stars in the G League before catching on with Charlotte.
After missing out on Vasilije Micic, who reached an agreement with Hapoel Tel Aviv, the EuroLeague club Real Madrid has its eye on a couple other NBA veterans. Relaying a report from the Spanish outlet Marca, Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops notes that veteran guard Lonnie Walker and big man Daniel Theis are on Real Madrid’s radar. Walker finished last season with the 76ers, while Theis played for AS Monaco after being waived by Oklahoma City in February.

International Rumors: Walker, Gill, Micic, Brown, Kamagate

July 12th, 2025 at 11:10am CST by Rory Maher

Seven-year veteran Lonnie Walker spent most of last season in Lithuania with EuroLeague club Zalgiris Kaunas prior to signing a two-year deal with the Sixers in February. Philadelphia declined its team option on the 26-year-old at the end of last month, making him an unrestricted free agent, and he has yet to be linked to another NBA team.

Could another international stint be in the works for Walker?

According to Matteo Andreani of Basketball Sphere and Tomer Givati of Israel Hayom, Hapoel Tel Aviv is in advanced talks with Walker and has offered the 6’4″ shooting guard a two-year contract. Andreani says the Israeli club is “confident the deal will be finalized soon.”

Here are a few more rumors and notes from across the pond:

Free agent forward Anthony Gill is drawing interest from multiple EuroLeague teams, particularly Real Madrid, per Javier Maestro of Spanish outlet Encestando and Israeli reporter Givati. The 32-year-old was waived by the Wizards last month before his contract became guaranteed and there is reportedly mutual interest in a reunion. However, Washington is also facing a roster crunch and Gill could potentially earn more money and have a larger role with Madrid. It’s not yet known which opportunity would hold more appeal to Gill, per Maestro, who points out that the Virginia product played three EuroLeague seasons with Russia’s Khimki prior to signing with the Wizards in 2020/21.
Serbian guard Vasilije Micic agreed to a buyout with the Bucks, but he won’t be signing with reigning EuroLeague champion Fenerbahce, according to European insider Chema de Lucas (Twitter link), who says the Turkish powerhouse has pulled the contract offer it presented about a month ago (hat tip to Eurohoops). The 31-year-old won back-to-back EuroLeague titles with Turkey’s Anadolu Efes in 2021 and 2022.
Former NBA guard Lorenzo Brown has signed a multiyear contract with Olimpia Milano, the Italian team announced in a press release. The 34-year-old spent parts of five seasons in the NBA from 2013-19 and has had a lengthy international career. He played for Panathinaikos in Greece last season.
French center Ismael Kamagate, whose NBA rights are controlled by the Clippers, has signed with Turkish club Besikas (link to press release). The 24-year-old former second-round pick spent the 2024/25 campaign in Italy with Derthona.

Sixers To Decline Option On Lonnie Walker’s Contract

June 29th, 2025 at 3:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers are declining their $2.9MM option on Lonnie Walker IV’s contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.

Walker was productive for the injury-riddled Sixers during the second half of the season. He appeared in 20 games and averaged 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists. However, Philadelphia has major salary cap concerns heading into free agency, which undoubtedly factored into the front office’s decision.

After being waived by Boston just before the start of the season, Walker spent time with Zalgiris Kaunas in the EuroLeague while awaiting his next NBA opportunity. He signed a two-year contract with Philadelphia in late February.

Prior to his stint with the Sixers, Walker appeared in 322 regular season games with the Spurs, Lakers, and Nets from 2018-24. He’ll now be seeking another opportunity as an unrestricted free agent.

Atlantic Notes: Walker, Pettiford, Nets, Raptors

May 26th, 2025 at 5:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers hold a $2.94MM club option on Lonnie Walker‘s contract for next season. Will they exercise it? Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer believes they will, contingent on where the team stands financially after the draft and which players they’ll target in free agency.

After signing with the Sixers, Walker appeared in 20 games and averaged 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists for the depleted club in the second half of the season. Pompey anticipates Walker can serve as a backup guard and take on a bigger role when injuries strike.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

The Nets hosted Tahaad Pettiford for a workout last week, NJ.com contributor Adam Zagoria tweets. Pettiford appeared in 38 games for Auburn as a freshman last season, all but one off the bench, and posted averages of 11.6 points and 3.0 assists in 22.9 minutes per game. Pettiford is currently ranked No. 38 overall on ESPN’s Best Available list.
The Nets will have more cap space than any other team this offseason. How should they spend their money? Yossi Gozlan of ThirdApron.com (subscription required) breaks down their cap space projection, how they could utilize it, and how their restricted free agents factor into the economic equation.
How can the Raptors become a contender again? Along with offensive improvement from Scottie Barnes, the most likely path to contention is via a trade, Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes in his latest mailbag. They will have movable contracts for salary-matching purposes, Koreen notes. They also need at least two of their young players to establish themselves as rotation-quality performers or better.

Sixers’ Nurse: Health Of Embiid, George Crucial For Next Season

April 8th, 2025 at 8:01am CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers‘ nightmare season is about to end, but there are no guarantees that next season will be any better or that their stars will be any healthier. Before Monday’s game at Miami, which marked Philadelphia’s 12th straight loss and its 29th in 32 games, coach Nick Nurse talked about the prospects for 2025/26, acknowledging that everything centers around the availability of Joel Embiid and Paul George, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“There’s, obviously, a good number of them that need to get taken care of, get back to health, but obviously, Joel and Paul will be the big concerns,” Nurse said. “Can they get back and get ready to go? And I guess we won’t find that out for a little while, and then you start unpacking and then you get back to thinking there’s some really, really good players there and start piecing it together and then we get ready to build out the rest of the roster around them.”

Embiid dealt with left knee issues all season long and was limited to just 19 games. Swelling in the knee delayed his season debut until November 12, and he was in an out of the lineup after that. He was eventually shut down for good on February 28 and will undergo arthroscopic surgery later this week.

Embiid remains a force when he’s healthy, having averaged 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 30.2 minutes per game, but the Sixers will need him on the court far more often to be competitive. The extension he signed last summer gives him $179MM in guaranteed money over the next three years, with a $69MM player option for 2028/29.

The Sixers viewed George as the missing piece to a title contender when they signed him to a four-year max deal in free agency. Various injuries limited him to 41 games before he was ruled out for the rest of the season on March 17 due to adductor and knee issues.

George averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists in his first season with Philadelphia, but he never reached the All-Star level he displayed during his time with the Clippers. He’s owed $51.7MM next season, $54.1MM in 2026/27 and holds a $56.6MM player option for 2027/28.

As Pompey notes, the Sixers’ injury woes didn’t end with their two veteran stars. Tyrese Maxey appeared in just 52 games and hasn’t played since March 3 due to an injured finger tendon. Rookie guard Jared McCain quickly found his way into the rotation, but was lost for the season after 23 games with a torn meniscus. Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon, Kyle Lowry and several others have also missed significant time due to injuries.

The results have been ugly, as the Sixers have struggled to field a competitive team since the All-Star break. Nurse used his 53rd different starting lineup of the season on Monday, Pompey notes in a separate story, consisting of Lonnie Walker, Quentin Grimes, Adem Bona, Marcus Bagley and Jared Butler. Pompey points out that Bona was the only member of that group who was on the roster before February.

Injury Notes: Sabonis, Davis, Maxey, Walker, Harden

March 24th, 2025 at 11:07am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings announced on March 18 that center Domantas Sabonis, who was diagnosed with a moderate right ankle sprain, would be reevaluated in 10 days. However, just six days later, Sacramento has listed Sabonis as questionable to play on Monday vs. Boston.

As Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes, the Kings announced that Sabonis has made significant progress in his recovery from the ankle sprain and fully participated in Sunday’s practice. It seems possible that an injury initially expected to sideline the big man for at least six games might only cost him three. Teammate Malik Monk predicted that outcome on the night Sabonis injured his ankle last Monday.

“It looked pretty bad,” Monk told reporters at the time. “But Domas (is) strong. He’ll probably be back sooner than we think.”

If Sabonis is able to return sooner rather than later, it would bode well for his potential end-of-season award eligibility — he needs to play at least 20 minutes in seven of the Kings’ remaining 12 contests to meet the requirements for the NBA’s 65-game rule. Sacramento also remains in the midst of a battle for a play-in spot. At 35-35, the team is ninth in the Western Conference standings, 1.5 games ahead of the Suns and Mavericks, who have matching 34-37 records.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

The Mavericks have upgraded big man Anthony Davis from doubtful to questionable for Monday’s game in Brooklyn, tweets Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. NBA insider Marc Stein previously reported that Davis was targeting Tuesday’s game in New York for his return from an adductor strain. I wouldn’t expect the Mavs star to play both ends of the back-to-back set, but it certainly sounds as if he could be back in action either today or tomorrow.
There had been a belief that Tyrese Maxey (lower back sprain/finger sprain) might return on the Sixers‘ current road trip, but it doesn’t appear that will happen after all. The trip will wrap up in New Orleans on Monday and head coach Nick Nurse said on Sunday that he wasn’t expecting to have Maxey back for that game, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I do expect him back (before the end of the season),” Nurse said. “But I don’t think he’s going to make it for today or tomorrow, I’ve been told.”
Sixers guard Lonnie Walker, who missed four games while in the concussion protocol, had to depart his first game back on Friday due to a headache. He sat out Sunday and the expectation is that he’ll miss Monday’s game too. “He just didn’t feel great,” Nurse said on Sunday, per Pompey. “And they just wanted to, with an abundance of caution, pull him back out of there. So they are going to take a look at him. He’ll be out tonight and tomorrow for sure. Then we will see where we go from there.”
After injuring his foot in the third quarter of Sunday’s loss to Oklahoma City, James Harden was able to finish the game, but the ailment seemed to be affecting him down the stretch and in the locker room afterward, writes Law Murray of The Athletic. Harden was playing some of his best basketball of the season as of late, having averaged 29.2 points per game with a .396 3PT% in the Clippers‘ last nine outings (including eight wins) entering Sunday, so the team will be holding its breath as it evaluates his foot, Murray notes.

Atlantic Notes: Scheierman, Brunson, Knicks, Walker

March 20th, 2025 at 10:55pm CST by Earnest Marshall

Celtics rookie Baylor Scheierman scored a career-high 20 points against the Nets on Tuesday, giving the Celtics their 50th win. As Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe notes, 17 of Scheierman’s 20 came in the second half and he only missed one garbage-time shot.

“Obviously it’s a lot of fun when [the game] slows down and it feels like you’re just out there playing free, playing loose,” Scheierman said. “Coach [Joe Mazzulla] has got a lot of confidence in you, players have got a lot of confidence in you. That’s what the game is all about, and that’s how I enjoy playing.”

Scheierman hasn’t played much at the NBA level this year, but he’s contributed to a pair of wins in the past couple weeks. The 2024 No. 30 overall pick is getting more comfortable by the day.

“Confidence is kind of an overused term,” Mazzulla said. “I think in reality, it’s like, this kid just got here. He’s been here for three months. Like, what do you expect him to look like 10 games in playing sporadically? He’s always had that confidence. I think a lot of it is a matter of timing. A lot of it’s a matter of opportunity. And a lot of it is the moments that you get, you’ve got to deliver and you’ve got to impact winning.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said Jalen Brunson was out of his walking boot and has progressed to doing “light shooting,” according to Newsday’s Steve Popper (Twitter link). New York is hoping to get him into some game action before the playoffs begin. He hasn’t played since March 6 due to an ankle injury.
New York wing Josh Hart ripped the Knicks after they lost to the 18-win Hornets on Thursday, according to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy. “The way we’re losing games is embarrassing,” Hart said, “… It’s extra effort, and we’re not doing that, and that’s what’s embarrassing, especially for this team, especially for a Thibs-coached team, a New York-based team. That’s not what we should be doing. That’s not what we’re supposed to be built on.” New York is 3-4 without Brunson during this stretch.
Sixers guard Lonnie Walker IV hasn’t played since March 12 after suffering a concussion. He’s probable for Friday’s game against the Spurs, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Walker is averaging 8.2 points and 3.3 rebounds this season.

Sixers Notes: Grimes, Yabusele, Butler, Nurse, Injury Report

March 18th, 2025 at 5:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Quentin Grimes, a trade deadline acquisition, continues to shine for the Sixers. The combo guard — a restricted free agent after this season — erupted for a career-high 46 points against the Rockets in an overtime loss on Monday. Grimes, who also finished with a career-best 13 rebounds, has scored 30 or more points in five separate games since coming to Philadelphia.

“It’s cool,” Grimes told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “But I had a costly turnover that cost us the game late in the fourth. I have to be better in those situations, probably on the ball, try to get fouled. It’s cool and all, but we probably should have just ended the game, ended it with a win.”

We have more on the Sixers:

While they have been decimated by injuries, big man Guerschon Yabusele has continued to play despite battling knee soreness. Yabusele sat out Monday’s game, but he’s appeared in 62 of 68 games and has served as a few of the few constants in Philadelphia this season. “That’s just who I am,” he told Pompey. “I always try to keep playing no matter what. You know that’s just me. I just want to compete. I want to be out there and help the guys. I hate just being on the bench and looking at the guys over there, struggling or losing. It’s something I don’t like to be a part of.” Yabusele has some extra incentive to stay on the court — he will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
The Sixers had only nine players available on Monday, yet nearly knocked off one of the better teams in the Western Conference. “I think it’s just outside of our nature to go out there and try to lose,” guard Jared Butler said, per Pompey. ”I can’t see myself playing like that in any kind of way.”
While some fans might be unhappy with head coach Nick Nurse, he shouldn’t be the scapegoat for the team’s dismal season, Pompey argues. Nurse has been forced to juggle the rotation throughout the season due to the rash of injuries, using 44 different starting lineups, Pompey points out.
Kelly Oubre Jr. is doubtful for Wednesday’s game against the Thunder due to a sprained right knee, Pompey tweets. Yabusele is questionable, while Tyrese Maxey, Andre Drummond, Adem Bona, Kyle Lowry and Lonnie Walker remain out.
In case you missed it, Paul George has been ruled out for the season. Get the details here.