The free agency craze is over, and NBA teams have largely built their rosters for the 2025-26 season. At this point in the offseason, most of the remaining unsigned players will land two-way deals, sign minimum contracts, or head overseas for their next opportunity. Therefore, we will see plenty of former Lakers over the next few weeks signing their next deals, and some of them will surprise us.
That is exactly what happened with former Lakers shooting guard Lonne Walker IV. The 26-year-old dynamic scorer wasn't able to land another contract in the NBA. Instead, he is returning to the EuroLeague to play for the Israeli club, Maccabi Tel Aviv.
.@lonniewalker_4 is BACK in the league 🔥
— EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) August 4, 2025
He signs a deal with @MaccabiTLVBC ✍️
Blockbuster move! pic.twitter.com/DCrslyp7uH
Lonnie Walker Returns to the EuroLeague After Short NBA Stint
This will be Walker's second stint overseas. He began the 2024-25 season with another EuroLeague team, Zalgiris Kaunas, but returned to the NBA after the trade deadline, when he signed with his hometown team, the Philadelphia 76ers.
In Philadelphia, Walker put up decent numbers, averaging 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game in 20 games (seven starts). Despite the production, the Sixers declined to pick up Walker's team option, making him an unrestricted free agent.
For a second offseason in a row, Walker has struggled to find an NBA team to give him a guaranteed contract, continuing a downward trend in his career since his Lakers tenure.
Walker had a successful stint in Los Angeles in the 2022-23 season following his four-year tenure with the San Antonio Spurs. The 6'4" shooting guard started in 32 games for the Lakers that season, averaging 11.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game in 23.2 minutes of action. His role was marginalized in the postseason, but Walker still had impressive scoring outbursts against the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs.
For a player entering his prime and who has shown intriguing offensive flashes, Walker's inability to stick around in the NBA is certainly surprising. Whether he will get another opportunity and make a return remains to be seen.