Apr 12, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Lonnie Walker IV (8) runs up court after a basket in front of New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The Sixers are signing veteran guard and Reading, PA native Lonnie Walker IV to a two-year deal worth $3 million, according to Shams Charania.
According to Kyle Neubeck, the second year of the deal is a team option.
Walker had spent most of this NBA season with Lithuania's BC Žalgiris. The NBA buyout date on his deal ran through February 18, so Philadelphia secured his services at essentially the eleventh hour.
Walker, 26, had bounced around the NBA after being drafted by the San Antonio Spurs with the 18th overall pick in 2018.
He's still quite young and a superbly gifted athlete, capable of rising at the rim with the best of them. But, he's lacked dimension to his game. He's neither an elite finisher at the rim nor a particularly skilled midrange shooter. Walker has never resembled even a mid-level playmaker, and he's never stood out as a defender. Most of his success in the NBA has come from beyond the arc.
The optimistic case is that there's still some untapped skill that other teams have missed. Say what you will about the Sixers, but they've established a fine resume for resurrecting players in their mid-20s and aiding their development. He gets a tryout for the rest of this season, and the Sixers get a little more youth in their guard play.
The biggest winner in all of this is Tyrese Maxey, who perhaps gets to take a breather every now and then.
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