The Denver Nuggets have been involved in a handful of rumors this offseason, but to this point, the team hasn’t exactly made any major moves. For the most part, the front office has found itself stuck in a staring contest with restricted free agent Peyton Watson, and unfortunately, the end of this situation is not in sight.
While Watson’s status is important, the front office knows it has business to take care of beyond his contract situation. That led the team to sign veteran guard Lonnie Walker IV in free agency after he spent the past year playing overseas for Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel. According to reports, Walker signed a one-year, $3.3 million deal, but some new details from this agreement have emerged that have caught fans’ attention.
Nuggets’ Contract with Lonnie Walker IV is a Training Camp Deal
Walker was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, and while he spent the four seasons of his career with them, he’s struggled to find his footing in the league since parting ways with them. A sparkplug scorer off the bench, Walker spent time with the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, and Philadelphia 76ers before heading overseas for the 2025-26 campaign.
While he was obviously playing against lesser competition, Walker proved he still has his scoring chops, as he averaged 15.2 points per game with Maccabi Tel Aviv while shooting 40% from behind the arc. The Nuggets, needing some help off the bench, decided to take a flier on Walker and sign him in free agency.
It seemed like Walker would come in and work behind Jamal Murray in Denver’s backcourt, but that may not exactly be a guarantee to happen. That’s because, according to a new report, Walker actually only signed a training camp deal with the Nuggets, meaning his contract won’t count towards the team’s salary cap unless he earns a spot on their roster.
“Lonnie Walker IV’s agreement with the Nuggets is a training camp deal, league sources tell The Denver Post,” Bennett Durando reported in a post on X. “He will compete for a roster spot at camp this fall. Denver still has two open spots.”
Lonnie Walker IV Will Have to Earn Spot on Nuggets’ Roster
GettyThe Nuggets have only signed Lonnie Walker IV to a training camp deal, which could have implications on their salary cap
While the Nuggets find themselves in a standoff with Watson, they know that they would like to re-sign him before the start of the new season. In order to do that, they are going to need cap space available, which makes the maneuvering with Walker’s deal so shrewd. He could have an inside track to earn a roster spot, but for the time being, the $3.3 million in this deal isn’t going to factor into the team’s plans when it comes to getting Watson to put pen to paper on a new deal.
Denver still has a lot of work to do before returning to action next year, but Walker still has upside as a streaky shooter who can catch fire in the blink of an eye. He may not be guaranteed a roster spot right now, but it would ultimately be a surprise if he does not break camp as a member of the Nuggets.
New Details on Nuggets’ Lonnie Walker IV Contract Emerge