Lonnie Walker

Injury Notes: Davis, Lively, Gafford, JJJ, Sabonis, Lakers, Walker

March 13th, 2025 at 9:03pm CST by Earnest Marshall

There are no indications that the Mavericks are seriously considering shutting down Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II or Daniel Gafford for the rest of the season, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. If any or all of the three currently injured big men are able to return while the Mavericks are mathematically in the play-in/postseason hunt, they’ll play, says Townsend.

A recent report suggested that it might be in Dallas’ best interest to preserve those players for the long run due to Kyrie Irving‘s season-ending injury and the team’s unfavorable spot in the standings.

“We know how good we can be when everyone’s healthy,” guard Dante Exum said. “But that’s one of the big things about the NBA: timing. Timing is everything. Runs and staying healthy during the season and going into playoffs, that’s a big part, and it’s something that we’re gonna have to figure out, quick.”

Davis is dealing with an adductor strain and Lively is recovering from a stress fracture. Both players, as we wrote, are on track to make their returns before the end of the season, if that’s the path the organization and players agree to. Gafford is recovering from an MCL sprain. His original six-week recovery timeline would have him back toward the end of March or the beginning of April, but there’s a sense he might be a little further off.

We have more injury notes from around the league:

Jaren Jackson Jr. appears to be be nearing a return for the Grizzlies, as he was upgraded to questionable for Friday’s game against the Cavaliers, according to Damichael Cole of Memphis Commercial Appeal. The Grizzlies have gone 4-1 without Jackson, but his return will be a welcome one for a team with aspirations of competing for a title. Jackson has been considered week-to-week due to an ankle sprain.
Domantas Sabonis hasn’t suited up for the Kings since March 1, but he was upgraded to questionable ahead of the team’s Thursday game against the Warriors, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). Sabonis, who is dealing with a hamstring injury, was ruled out just before the game, tweets Anderson. But the fact that his injury status was upgraded at all is a signal that his return should be just around the corner.
Lakers center Jaxson Hayes and forward Rui Hachimura left the team’s road trip to return to L.A. alongside LeBron James for health reasons, Dave McMenamin of ESPN tweets. Both Hayes and Hachimura are battling knee injuries. They, along with James, are considered day-to-day, according to McMenamin. We previously wrote about James’ injury here.
Sixers guard Lonnie Walker IV was diagnosed with a concussion on Thursday morning, according to PHLY Sports’ Kyle Neubeck (Twitter link). Walker hit his head on the court on Wednesday against Toronto and entered the NBA’s concussion protocol. He’ll be evaluated daily moving forward.

Sixers Notes: Walker, Maxey, Martin, Reese

March 10th, 2025 at 8:04am CST by Arthur Hill

Lonnie Walker turned in his best game since joining the Sixers last month, coming off the bench Sunday with 25 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in a win over Utah. After being waived by Boston just before the start of the season, the 26-year-old shooting guard spent time with Zalgiris Kaunas in the EuroLeague while awaiting his next NBA opportunity. After Sunday’s game, he talked about how he benefited from that experience, according to BasketNews.

“There are a lot of factors people don’t consider, like your mental state, your physical state, and how you’re feeling,” Walker said. “There was a seven- or eight-hour time difference to adjust to, but also playing at a completely different level of basketball, with a different style of play. Understanding new plays and learning how the team plays was part of the process.”

Walker has a chance to revive his NBA career in Philadelphia, which is his third team in the last three years after he spent his first four NBA seasons in San Antonio. He played 34 minutes Sunday night and figures to be part of the rotation for the rest of the season.

During his time away from the league, Walker gained an appreciation for the style of basketball being played in Europe.

“Most definitely,” he said. “Don’t get it twisted, the EuroLeague is a beautiful league. The passion and the way the game is played over there is special. But I definitely have a sense of gratitude for the opportunity to return to the best league in the world and showcase my abilities.”

There’s more from Philadelphia:

Coach Nick Nurse told reporters before the game that he plans to monitor the minutes of Andre Drummond, Guerschon Yabusele and Kelly Oubre, who all saw limited action on Sunday, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Pompey notes that they’re the only three rotation players from the start of the season that were active on Sunday. Nurse also provided an update on Tyrese Maxey, who’s sidelined with a lower back strain, saying the star guard “did some on-court work today,” but remains questionable for Monday’s game against Atlanta.
KJ Martin returned to Philadelphia on Sunday for the first time since being traded last month in a cost-cutting move, per Adam Aaronson of The Philly Voice. Martin said he enjoyed his time with the Sixers and regrets that a stress reaction in his foot interrupted what could have been a productive season. “I had a great time this year,” he said. “Philly will always have a place in my heart for sure.”
Alex Reese had six points and nine rebounds in 15 minutes in his first significant playing time of the season, Aaronson adds. The two-way forward said he’s been able to develop his game during his time with the Sixers and the team’s G League affiliate in Delaware. “It’s been good in both places,” Reese said. “Here and in Delaware, both teams have welcomed me. They’ve taught me a lot so far, pointed me in the right directions… I’m enjoying it and grateful to be here.”

Celtics Notes: Tatum, Scheierman, Norris, Walker

March 8th, 2025 at 8:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

There’s a spotlight on every Celtics-Lakers game, but tonight’s nationally televised matchup takes on extra significance because the teams are meeting for the first time since L.A. acquired Luka Doncic. While Jayson Tatum acknowledges the years of classic games between the two franchises, he tells Brian Robb of MassLive that he doesn’t view it as a rivalry.

“I mean, I obviously understand the history between the Lakers and Celtics,” Tatum said. “I would say from my time in the league, I wouldn’t look at the Lakers as rivals. We only play them twice (per season). The teams that we play over and over again in the playoffs — Philly would be one of them, and the other teams as well.”

Tatum is excited about getting another chance to compete against LeBron James, who was his teammate on the gold-medal-winning U.S. squad at last year’s Olympics. Although James continues to play at a high level at age 40, he likely only has a few Celtics-Lakers games left in his career.

“As much as we probably talk about LeBron, we probably don’t talk about him enough,” Tatum said. “Being 40 in his 22nd season, playing at an All-NBA level, is incredible. It’s a testament to the work that he puts into this game, to his body to stay in the best shape to be able to compete and perform at the highest level for over two decades now. It’s something that we should all strive to do, even if it might be unlikely. But it’s a joy to be able to compete against him in these matchups for however long we get to do it.”

There’s more from Boston:

Rookie Baylor Scheierman turned in the best performance of his brief NBA career with 15 points in Thursday’s win over Philadelphia, Robb states in a separate story. He also got to enjoy the experience of taunting the Sixers’ bench, blowing them a kiss after sinking a corner three-pointer in the third quarter. “Yeah. I mean, every time you shoot by the bench they’re always saying, ‘Hell nah,'” Scheierman explained. “So I’m having to turn around and give ‘em a little kiss.”
Newly signed two-way player Miles Norris made his NBA debut in the closing minutes of Thursday’s contest, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. Norris said he wasn’t nervous about the opportunity, as his teammates urged him to have fun with it. “Once you get up and down, you start to feel a little better,” he said. “Once I subbed in, got my first rebound, running up and down the court, I felt pretty good. … The guys encouraged me to go out there and play how I play. Play loose. The vets on the team, Payton (Pritchard) and everybody, telling me to go out there and play loose.”
Sixers guard Lonnie Walker returned to TD Garden Thursday night for the first time since Boston waived him in the preseason, Terada adds in another piece. The Celtics opted not to keep Walker for financial reasons, but he considers the time he spent with the team to be valuable. “When you’re a part of a championship organization and how they approach the game, it gives you a little bit more motivation and inspiration,” Walker said. “You want to be the best. You want to see how everyone has proceeded to be the best and why they’re such a great team. There’s definitely some motivation that was given playing with the Celtics.”

Atlantic Notes: Sixers’ Acquisitions, Nets, Clowney, Knicks

March 6th, 2025 at 6:43pm CST by Earnest Marshall

The Sixers made moves at the deadline to get younger and more athletic, bringing in Quentin Grimes and Jared Butler before signing Lonnie Walker IV. Having lost Joel Embiid for the season, Philadelphia hasn’t become a better team as a result of its pivot to youth, but it has shown a vision for the younger players to become members of the rotation next season.

As Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes, Grimes in particular has been a standout addition. He’s shown to be capable in either a starting or reserve role and is averaging 17.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists on 52.4% shooting from the floor in his 11 games (eight starts) with Philadelphia. He’s scored at least 30 points three times, including 44 in a win over the red-hot Warriors last weekend.

Grimes will be a restricted free agent this summer, giving the Sixers the right to match any outside offers.

As for Butler, the Sixers were excited to acquire the former two-way guard from Washington, promoting him to a standard deal quickly upon his arrival. According to Pompey, the Sixers were interested in Butler during the 2021 draft and wanted to get a closer look at him, giving up a first-round pick in the process (and getting four seconds in return).

Pompey writes Butler has shown flashes but that Jeff Dowtin, currently on a two-way deal, has taken his spot in the rotation. Butler has a team option worth $2.35MM for next season that the Sixers will decide on this summer.

Walker has also gotten a chance to play a rotation role, averaging 16.7 minutes in his first six games. Pompey writes that Walker is still getting adjusted back to the NBA after playing overseas for the first half of the season. Like Butler, Walker has a team option for next season.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

The Nets have an open roster spot after not immediately extending Killian Hayes another 10-day contract. Net Income of NetsDaily notes that Brooklyn has a cushion of $1.08MM under the luxury tax, but Cameron Johnson is likely to hit an incentive that will cut that number in half. Still, there’s value in signing a player into that approximately half-million in anticipated space. Since rest-of-season salaries are prorated, the Nets won’t have a problem adding someone on a minimum deal. Tosan Evbuomwan is one candidate for a standard deal, since he’s been a part of the rotation, but Net Income notes that Evbuomwan’s two-way deal covers two years, so there’s no real rush to promote him. The Nets could circle back to Hayes later on or sign another player from a G League team.
Nets second-year big Noah Clowney hasn’t played since Jan. 27, but it sounds as though he’s inching toward a return. According to the New York Post’s Brian Lewis (Twitter link), Clowney had his first five-on-five scrimmage on Thursday. Clowney is averaging 9.4 points and 3.9 rebounds this season.
The Knicks are 0-7 this season against the top three teams in the league: the Thunder, Celtics and Cavaliers. On paper, New York has a contending roster, filled with versatile defenders on the wings and stars in Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson. So what’s causing the slide against the league’s best? According to ESPN’s Chris Herring, simple factors are at play. For one, while the Knicks’ offense ranks fourth in rating, they rank 28th in three-point attempt rate. “At the root of it all, it’s math,” an Eastern Conference scout said, per Herring. “They’re really efficient, and will win a ton of games. But the [three-point] volume isn’t enough to beat the Clevelands and the Bostons. Especially when you also factor in that the Knicks are [offensive] rebounding and getting to the line a lot less than last year’s team did.” Additionally, the Knicks’ defense ranks 19th in the league.

Sixers Guard Eric Gordon Undergoes Wrist Surgery

February 27th, 2025 at 10:07am CST by Dana Gauruder

February 27: Gordon will be reevaluated in approximately three months after undergoing the surgery, the Sixers announced today (via Twitter). Given where Philadelphia is in the standings, it’s safe to assume Gordon’s season is over.

February 26: Head coach Nick Nurse confirmed that Gordon underwent successful wrist surgery today, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link). An update on Gordon’s status will be provided in the coming days.

February 25: Sixers veteran guard Eric Gordon will undergo surgery on his right wrist on Wednesday, Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports tweets. No timetable for his recovery has been announced.

Gordon has been out since February 9 due to what the team had called a sprained right wrist. Gordon consulted with multiple specialists before the decision to have surgery was made.

It’s another dose of bad news in a disastrous season for the Sixers, who have lost eight straight to drop 17 games below .500. Gordon, 36, has averaged 6.8 points and 1.7 assists in 19.7 minutes per game while making 39 appearances (13 starts).

Gordon signed a two-year, veteran’s minimum deal with the Sixers last summer. He holds a $3,468,960 option on his contract for next season. Considering his health status, Gordon may be more inclined to exercise that option before free agency.

Gordon’s injury was one of the reasons why the Sixers recently signed Lonnie Walker.

Atlantic Notes: Walker, Anunoby, Robinson, Nets

February 22nd, 2025 at 2:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Having been born and raised in Pennsylvania, new Sixers guard Lonnie Walker said on Friday that it’s “a surreal moment” to have signed a contract with his hometown team, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“I’ve come to plenty of games (in Philadelphia), watching Jrue Holiday, Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand … the list goes on and on,” Walker said. “I’m only an hour and 20 [minutes] from here. I’m not too far. I played for a Philly (AAU) team, as far as Team Final. This is for sure a full-circle moment in my career, and I’m just truly blessed to be here.”

Walker received a two-year, minimum-salary deal that will pay him $780,932 for the rest of this season, with a $2,940,876 team option for 2025/26. According to Pompey, the 26-year-old finalized a buyout with Zalgiris Kaunas, his team in Lithuania, just two hours before his opt-out deadline on Tuesday. It initially appeared as if that deadline would pass without an NBA agreement and he’d finish the season in Europe.

“It’s funny, everyone found out before me,” Walker said. “I was actually sleeping. I got the phone call from my agent. I had about 30 missed calls. I guess it was all over Twitter already. But by that time, my mind was already made as far as being in Europe, finishing the season there.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

In his return from a foot injury that cost him six games, Knicks forward OG Anunoby contributed just five points and zero rebounds and was a minus-23 in 27 minutes on Friday vs. Cleveland. He also grabbed his foot after falling to the court in the third quarter. However, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Post relays, Anunoby said after the blowout loss that his foot felt fine and head coach Tom Thibodeau downplayed the forward’s struggles. “It was about what I thought it would be,” Thibodeau said. “There were some good minutes early, and then there’s some rust he’s got to work through, but I thought he had good energy.”
With Jakob Poeltl sidelined due to a hip injury, Orlando Robinson started at center for the Raptors on Friday against his old team, the Heat, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Robinson was waived by Sacramento last month, but has carved out a modest role in Toronto, having signed two 10-day contracts and a two-way deal with the team. “That’s his NBA ability is perseverance and his work ethic,” said Erik Spoelstra, who coached Robinson in Miami from 2022-24. “He will just continue to grind and work, and that’s why we thought he was a great fit with us and that’s why I always respect guys like that. … I think (Toronto) is a good fit for him here because they do value player development and he’s all about the work. So I continue to root for him.”
Brian Fleurantin of NetsDaily takes a look at some of the major Nets-related storylines to watch for the rest of the season, including whether Cam Thomas can return and finish strong ahead of restricted free agency and which of the club’s young players will take a step forward down the stretch.

Lonnie Walker Signs Two-Year Deal With Sixers

February 21st, 2025 at 9:57am CST by Luke Adams

February 21: The signing is official, the Sixers announced in a press release.

February 18, 2:46 pm: Walker will exercise the opt-out clause in his contract with Zalgiris Kaunas after all, Langberg tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Charania, the veteran guard has agree to a two-year contract with the Sixers.

While Charania describes it as a $3MM deal, it should be worth a little more than that. Philadelphia only has the ability to offer a minimum-salary contract, but the second year of a minimum offer would come in around $2.94MM.

The amount of Walker’s prorated minimum salary for the rest of this season will depend on when he officially signs. As of today, it would be about $826K, but it will likely take him a little time to gain FIBA clearance.

The second year of Walker’s new contract will be a team option, a source tells Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link).

The 76ers currently have a full 15-man standard roster, but their 15th man is David Roddy, whose 10-day contract expires on Thursday night, so Walker figures to take Roddy’s spot on the roster.

Philadelphia will be looking to strike gold in the international market again after signing big man Guerschon Yabusele last summer following his five-year stint in Asia and Europe.

According to Stein (Twitter link), the Sixers’ offer to Walker came in today, just in time for him to take advantage of his Feb. 18 opt-out deadline. The team sought shooting guard insurance with Eric Gordon‘s return from a wrist injury up in the air, Stein adds.

February 18, 10:27 am: The contract that shooting guard Lonnie Walker signed with Zalgiris Kaunas in the fall included a clause that allowed him to opt out up until February 18 in order to return to the NBA.

However, Walker won’t take advantage of that opt-out, agent George S. Langberg tells Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link). The plan, Stein says, is for Walker to finish the current season in Lithuania and return to the NBA for the 2025/26 season.

Walker has 322 career regular season NBA games under his belt, having spent time with the Spurs, Lakers, and Nets from 2018-24. Last season, he averaged 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 17.4 minutes per game across 58 appearances for Brooklyn, with a shooting line of .423/.384/.763.

The 26-year-old was in camp with the Celtics in October before being cut ahead of the team’s regular season opener.

Multiple reports in recent months have suggested that Walker was drawing interest from NBA teams, including a handful of playoff-caliber clubs. However, it’s unclear whether or not any of those teams made a serious pitch to bring him back stateside.

Walker has averaged 13.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 1.8 APG in 19 EuroLeague games (22.3 MPG) for Zalgiris this season, though his shooting percentages are just 38.7% from the field and 33.1% on three-pointers.

Lakers Targeting Shooting Guard With Open Roster Spot?

February 7th, 2025 at 4:01pm CST by Rory Maher

Following an extremely active trade deadline which saw the Lakers acquire Luka Doncic and Mark Williams in separate deals, the team now has an open roster spot. Although Los Angeles isn’t in a rush to fill that vacancy, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reported on his live stream (YouTube link) that the Lakers seem to be leaning toward filling out their roster with another shooting guard.

“I’ve heard they’re going to be patient,” Buha said (hat tip to BasketNews.com). “They’re not in a rush to find that potential 15th player. They view the shooting guard spot as the current hole right now, so it seems that’s the type of guy they’re going to try to get.

“Just logically looking at the depth chart, they kind of have everything else. They don’t need a point guard, they have multiple wings that can play 30-plus minutes a night, they have a couple of centers. Looking at the roster and the layout of everything, they need another shooting guard, so I think that’s a direction they’re going to try to go.”

NBA insider Marc Stein reported on Thursday (via Twitter) that Lonnie Walker, who is currently playing for Lithuanian club Zalgris Kaunas, has an out clause in his contract and is a buyout candidate to monitor. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Walker has generated “considerable interest” from NBA teams (Twitter link).

Could a reunion with the Lakers be in the cards? Buha suggested (YouTube link) Walker’s defense might be a concern, and he’s not sure if he’s at the top of the team’s wish list. For what it’s worth, Josh Richardson, Jaden Springer, Seth Curry and Reggie Jackson were among the other players who were either brought up by Buha or asked about by fans.

“If they [Lakers] do add someone, it’s probably going to be a shooting guard, but maybe they end up just doing best player available and saying like, ‘Hey, we don’t love the shooting guard options. Let’s just get the best player.'”

Multiple Playoff Hopefuls Eyeing Lonnie Walker

December 29th, 2024 at 6:24pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Veteran guard Lonnie Walker IV is drawing NBA interest, with the Sixers, Timberwolves, Heat, Nuggets and Celtics all viewed as potential suitors, reports Marc Stein (Twitter link).

Walker played on Boston’s training camp roster in the fall on an Exhibit 10 deal, but was cut ahead of the 2024/25 regular season.

The 6’4″ wing isn’t quite a free agent. He is currently playing for Lithuanian EuroLeague club Zalgiris Kaunas, having passed on an opportunity to suit up for Boston’s NBAGL squad, the Maine Celtics. Other EuroLeague squads, including Real Madrid and Maccabi Tel Aviv, were also reportedly interested in adding Walker, but he ultimately sided with Zalgiris.

However, Walker has a $450K buyout option in his current deal with Zalgiris, should any NBA squad be interested in bringing him back to the league prior to February 18.

Beyond the loaded Celtics, all the aforementioned squads could use a scoring spark off the bench, which Walker would provide in abundance.

The Miami product has spent six seasons in the league, playing for the Spurs, Lakers and – most recently – the Nets. Across 58 healthy games for Brooklyn off the bench last year, Walker posted averages of 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.6 steals per night, with a shooting line of .423/.384/.763.

Celtics Notes: Walsh, Porzingis, Pritchard, Springer

December 14th, 2024 at 6:19pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jordan Walsh impressed Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla with his willingness to play in Thursday’s win over Detroit, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. The second-year forward was given the option to miss the game because of bruised ribs, but the team was already without Jayson Tatum and Sam Hauser. Walsh decided to play, even though it meant additional stress on his aching ribcage.

“I was explaining to him, when you’re a young guy and you’re banged up a little bit, it’s easy to sit out a game because you’re not expected to play all the time,” Mazzulla said. “And I was telling him about Jayson and Jaylen (Brown) and these guys, when they’re banged up, they don’t have a choice. They have to play and they have to deliver. And I said that’s the hard part, the mentality and the mind-set that young guys have a hard time delivering when they’re not at their best. I thought it was a huge development for him to do that, to work to do that. It just comes from the environment. It comes from how the locker room holds themselves to a high standard. So I think the environment is a big piece in the development.”

A second-round pick in 2023, Walsh has seen an expanded role after spending most of his rookie year in the G League and appearing in just nine NBA games. He has gotten into 17 so far this season, although playing time is still hard to come by on one of the league’s best rosters. He’s averaging 1.4 points and 1.2 rebounds in 9.1 minutes per night.

“I feel like everything you do here builds a reputation, so if I go and sit out when I was supposed to play, now I’m soft,” Walsh said. “Now I’m trying to find a reason to be out. It’s like, nah, I don’t want to be that guy. I want to be the guy who’s always trying to find a way to get in, to play more and be more active. That’s what I want to go for.”

There’s more from Boston:

The exuberance that Kristaps Porzingis shows on the court stems from his love of playing for the Celtics, per Khari Thompson of The Boston Globe. Porzingis started his career in New York, then spent time with Dallas and Washington before being traded to Boston last summer. “I definitely enjoy playing here like crazy,” he said. “… Obviously, now you guys see me smiling and happy, but I would say this is how I’ve been most of my career. It’s just now that I’m on a bigger stage and everybody can see how I play and how I enjoy the game.”
Payton Pritchard is considered one of the favorites for Sixth Man of the Year honors, but he told reporters, including Souichi Terada of MassLive, that it’s not a priority for him. “It’s not something I really think about,” Pritchard said. “If I’m fortunate enough to win, that’s I guess a testament to the hard work I put in and I think it just means that I helped this team coming off the bench and doing my job at a high level. It’s not something like if I don’t win or win, it’s not make-or-break it for me.”
The Celtics’ interest in trading Jaden Springer in October was likely sparked by Lonnie Walker‘s strong preseason, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. The team reportedly would have needed to attach draft assets to get someone to take Springer, so he remained on the roster while Walker was waived. Robb adds that Springer’s $4MM expiring contract could be useful if Boston wants to make a trade before the deadline.

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