Tag: Lonnie Walker

5 surprising NBA free agents (Markelle Fultz!) not currently signed before the season

How did NO ONE scoop Markelle Fultz?!

With the 2024-25 NBA season about to soon begin, there are several notable players who are shockingly unemployed.

It is not terribly surprising when notable veterans eventually age out of the market and do not settle on a home before the new season tips off. There are a few examples of that around the league right now (e.g. Robert Covington, Jae Crowder, JaVale McGee, Bismack Biyombo, and Justin Holiday) just like every other year.

Meanwhile, there are typically high draft picks who didn’t exactly reach their potential (e.g. Killian Hayes, James Bouknight, Kevin Knox, and James Bouknight) readily available as well.

But when slightly younger players who have shown promise do not have anywhere to play, it deserves a bit more of an eyebrow raise. Here are some of those names.

Markelle Fultz

Once the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft who never quite materialized, it was exciting to see Fultz reinvent himself over the past few seasons in Orlando. During the 2022-23 campaign, he started all 60 games he played for the Magic while averaging a career-high 14.0 points to go with 5.7 assists per game. But after some shooting regression last season, Fultz did not yet land a new NBA contract.

Dennis Smith Jr.

Perhaps the most puzzling player who is not currently signed to an NBA deal is Dennis Smith Jr., who likely won’t have to wait too long until a team seeks out his services. Last season, per dunksandthrees, Smith ranked in the 98th percentile among all players in Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus. With his remarkable athleticism, he should have a spot in the league again soon.

Oshae Brissett

Celtics executive Brad Stevens said that Oshae Brissett was “terrific” for Boston during their championship season, but the wing did not return to the roster or find a new home. Brissett seems ready to get back in the league as soon as possible with the right situation.

Lonnie Walker IV

While he got a look from Boston this offseason and scoring as many as 20 points in a preseason appearance, Lonnie Walker IV did not make the roster this year. He is reportedly getting looks from teams overseas, but if he stays patient, an opportunity in the NBA could present itself again soon.

Nassir Little

Another interesting free agent who is currently available is Nassir Little. After beginning his career with the Portland Trail Blazers and spending last season with the Phoenix Suns, the 24-year-old forward played the preseason for the Heat. He did not make the roster but could become an underrated free agency signing for a different franchise.

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Lonnie Walker accomplished a feat last reached in Lakers history by Kobe Bryant exactly 26 years ago

What a seriously awesome night for Lonnie Walker IV.

Thanks to an unexpected late-game surge by Lonnie Walker IV, the Los Angeles Lakers took a convincing 3-1 series lead against the Golden State Warriors.

The 24-year-old wing managed to score 15 points (6-9 FG, 1-3 3P, 2-2 FT) in the fourth quarter during the victory in Los Angeles. This performance marked the first time a Lakers reserve notched at least 15 points during the fourth quarter of a postseason game since Kobe Bryant did as much in 1997.

Walker, who was selected in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs and signed with Los Angeles this past offseason, actually achieved this impressive feat exactly 26 years after Bryant.

According to Stathead, the only other examples of a Lakers reserve scoring more than 12 points in any quarter of a playoff game were both recorded by Bryant as well.

This game could hold some personal significance for Walker, too. Before he ever even played for the Lakers, while in San Antonio on the Spurs, Walker honored Bryant with purple and gold shoes.

Walker signed with Los Angeles on a one-year contract, and after what he showed he could do last night despite not playing in the rotation for much of the season, he deserves serious consideration for a longer deal.

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NBA Twitter reacts to Lakers beating Warriors in Game 4 thriller: ‘Lonnie Walker just went Manu Ginobili’

The Los Angeles Lakers have taken a 3-1 series lead after beating the Golden State Warriors 104-101 with a key performance by Lonnie Walker in Game 4. Stephen Curry had a dominant triple-double with 31 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds. However, …

The Los Angeles Lakers have taken a 3-1 series lead after beating the Golden State Warriors 104-101 with a key performance by Lonnie Walker in Game 4.

Stephen Curry had a dominant triple-double with 31 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds. However, the Lakers outscored them 27-17 in the last 12 minutes. LeBron James scored 27 points and added nine rebounds and six assists but the star of the night was Walker with a 15-point fourth quarter and as expected, NBA Twitter reacted to it.

Lakers must do everything possible to keep Lonnie Walker beyond just this season because he looks great

The Lakers are having an absolutely abysmal season, but it looks like they may have struck gold in free agency by signing Lonnie Walker.

Welcome to Layup Lines, our basketball newsletter where we’ll prep you for the tip-off of tonight’s action, from what to watch to bets to make. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox.

The Lakers are having an absolutely abysmal season, but it looks like they may have struck gold in free agency by signing Lonnie Walker.

Walker is averaging a career-high 16.5 points per game, which is more than anyone else on the Lakers except for LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The 23-year-old wing is shooting 55.2 percent on 3-pointers over the course of his last six games.

No one on the Lakers has connected on more shots from beyond the arc than Walker has so far this season. He looks good in the pick-and-roll, and he’s not turning the ball over very often.

All things considered, at a salary of $6.5 million, he looks like a good pick-up for Los Angeles! These are the kinds of moves around the edges that the front office has to make in order to stay competitive.

But it is all for naught if Walker, who was a first-round draft pick in 2018, rehabilitates his value with the Lakers only to leave in free agency during the offseason. That is what happened with Malik Monk last season, and it would be disastrous to let something similar occur once more.

As noted by CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn, the Lakers can offer Walker a starting salary of $9.7 million during the offseason. That means another team would have to extend the full mid-level exception to beat that offer.

Because they traded so much youth and draft collateral to land Davis and Westbrook, the Lakers are fairly thin in the department of young talent. They clearly have found something with Walker, and they need to keep him around to develop a core group to maintain some consistency and continuity.

The Lakers have been like a revolving door for the past few seasons, and it would go a long way for them to keep someone like Walker around for the fans to latch onto and believe in as their own.

The Tip-Off

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

For The Win’s Charles Curtis wants to discuss the trending meme about LeBron James:

“It was the story that had NBA fans calling out LeBron James for what they thought was very much a lie: The Los Angeles Lakers superstar said that he had been listening to Migos back in 2010 … but their mixtape dropped in 2011.

That’s the same LeBron James who said he predicted Kobe Bryant was going to go off for 70 points on the night he scored 81, just one of the many times fans have noticed his embellishments.

Now, there’s a meme I’ve seen everywhere on Twitter, particularly this weekend — using a screengrab from that infamous moment he said he predicted the big Kobe game and fake-quoting James.”

These white lies never really hurt anybody, did they?

One To Watch

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

(All odds via Tipico.)

Bucks (-175, -4.5) vs. Hawks (+140), O/U 224.5, 8:00 PM ET

Trae Young isn’t having the best start to the season, but the Hawks and Bucks are two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Giannis Antetokounmpo is having an MVP-caliber season, and this one is worth watching.

Shootaround

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

— Joel Embiid was so dominant that Tyrese Maxey overrode Doc Rivers’ play call to help the big man score more

— Stephen Curry was hilariously hyped after nailing a pregame trick shot

— Blake Griffin has extended his NBA career by…avoiding microwaves?

— HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto shares the latest intel on PJ Washington, Grant Williams, and more

Lonnie Walker and Troy Brown, who just agreed to sign with the Lakers, are also apparently besties

Lakers fans would love it if these guys could host a podcast together.

The Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly agreed to terms with two former first-round picks, Troy Brown Jr. and Lonnie Walker IV.

Brown and Walker represent a change of pace in how the Lakers approach the offseason. For the past few seasons, we have seen the organization target aging veterans including the likes of Carmelo Anthony, Trevor Ariza, Dwight Howard, and Rajon Rondo.

On the other hand, Brown is only 22 years old while Walker is only 23. It’s a wise investment in two former first-round picks who are still young. But it’s also an investment in two best friends, according to Basketball News content chief Alex Kennedy.

Brown was selected at No. 15 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, and then Walker heard his name shortly after at No. 18 overall. The two were both summer league standouts when they faced each other as rookies.

But they had extensive experience together long before that.

Back in 2016, when they were still playing at the AAU level, the two prospects actually traveled to the Bahamas (alongside other future NBA players like Wendell Carter Jr., Jarred Vanderbilt, and PJ Washington).

Both players were later named McDonald’s All-Americans and played together on that roster in 2017. You can watch one of their highlights from the game below:

If you are interested, you can watch a recent video of the two players working out together in Los Angeles. Around the 5:30-mark, they start playing HORSE.

You will not be surprised to learn that both players are represented by Klutch Sports.

According to Kennedy, the two players recently considered hosting a podcast together. Hopefully, they get a chance to do that as teammates on the Lakers.

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6 future restricted free agents who could be dealt at the NBA trade deadline, from Nic Claxton to Bol Bol

Here are six of the players to keep an eye on as we inch closer to the trade deadline.

The NBA trade deadline — February 10 at 3PM Eastern — is hard to predict and players may unexpectedly find themselves on the move. But there are some trends we’ve learned.

For example, NBA teams often make a decision about a player’s free agency before the free agency period actually begins. If an organization decides that they are going to move on from a player, it makes sense to see if they can get any assets in return.

That is one of the reasons why the Knicks recently moved on from Kevin Knox, who was recently traded to the Atlanta Hawks in a deal to land Cam Reddish.

Of course, some teams may be reluctant to trade for an upcoming free agent like Knox. But it’s occasionally advantageous because if they are able to bring a player into the fold before he actually hits the open market, they get the first opportunity to establish chemistry between the two parties. If it doesn’t work out, meanwhile, it’s a way of clearing up cap space on their salary books.

As such, when surveying the league to find the players most likely to see their name in trade rumors, upcoming restricted free agents are a good place to begin.

Here are six of the players to keep an eye on as we inch closer to the trade deadline:

Players who didn’t extend and are headed to restricted free agency

Here’s a look at those players that will be headed to restricted free agency in 2022 after the rookie-scale extension deadline passed.

The rookie-scale extension deadline has passed with a flurry of extensions for the 2018 draft class. Eleven players were extended, including four players signing maximum extensions. These extensions combine for a total of $1.146 billion in guaranteed money.

Twelve players on rookie-scale contracts that were extension-eligible did not extend and it will be interesting to see how the 2022 free agent market shakes out for them. There are now only 4 teams that can generate significant cap space next offseason, which explains why so many players extended now. Here’s a look at those players that will be headed to restricted free agency in 2022.