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.
Any team looking to acquire bench scoring, he would have definitely helped. Good for him though. He’ll get another shot in the NBA in the not to distant future. Always liked LW IV.
Finally. It was kind of getting stupid that Boston fans thought Lonnie Walker was going to break into the Celtics rotation…
Pure delusion. Walker’s issue has always been the defensive end. Guy can shoot, but cannot guard my grandmother in a wheelchair.
I will say, Lonnie was an intriguing/fun watch on the Celtics but it seems like it definitely was the right move not to keep him: .387/.331 isn’t great
Entire roster doesn’t play defense.
76ers need defensive players like
Amen Thompson
Tari Eason
Cam Witmore
I don’t understand why they never target defensive players
Those players are available for the minimum?
Cam is not a defensive player
@Sillivan Embiid and George were supposed to be the key pieces the defense is built around, but clearly that hasn’t worked.
Either Shams is wrong or this needs an update, but he’s reporting he just signed with the 76ers
Will always remember the game 4 vs GSW in 2023
Lonnie putting the champs on the ropes with a 15 point 4th qrter; epic
Should sign Roddy to a two-way
Wasn’t good enough for Zalgiris,good enough for 6ers.Goodbye sixers fans,do they have ice hockey team in Philly or something to keep people busy for next twenty years?
Do you live under a rock? I don’t even remotely follow football but even I am aware what went down earlier this month….
Choosing to exercise your termination clause because you are able to sign a bigger contract in a better league indicates the complete opposite of not good enough.
The Eagles just won the Super Bowl with one of the youngest rosters in the NFL. The Phillies have been October regulars for 3 years. Think before you post.
The Sixers signing Lonnie Walker is a good move. He is only 26 and enough of an offensive talent that he provide some quality points off the bench. Plus, he is from nearby Reading, PA.
Always liked Lonnie, just really hope we pivot away from Embiid, PG and Maxey as a trio and competitions for a title and instead go for a younger approach with Maxey, McCain and others.
Was always a little hesitant with Maxey cause he’s doesn’t create like a traditional point guard but he’s a little small for a SG. Similarly with McCain score first guard. But over the years Maxey has won me over, he’s one of the best pure scorers in the league and can hurt you in a number of ways. He’s really competitive but level headed. Embiid and PG are just to old, injured, dramatic, egotistical and not worth the money they demand. I’d rather a team that’s younger, exciting and hungry
I would agree on Maxey. Feels like Philly elevated him to “Star point guard” when elevated microwave scorer is more accurate. And Embiid’s body is unfortunately giving up on him.
As for Paul George, I’m glad he lost the #13, cuz his game has zero edge to it at this point. He’s rated E for everyone as lame and disinterested as he looks this season
76ers are going to have to start a new process.