NBA franchises will have to make roster cuts in the coming days to narrow their rosters to 15 players ahead of the regular season. The Denver Nuggets began to do so on Monday.
Denver waived veteran guard Lonnie Walker, Michael Scotto HoopsHype reports.
The Nuggets signed Walker, 27, to a one-year, $3.3 million deal in September, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported. After two preseason appearances, Walker’s time in Denver has ended. Denver’s roster is now at 20 players.
Lonnie Walker Was Eyeing Return to NBA After Spending 2025-26 Overseas
Lonnie Walker’s one-year deal with the Nuggets marked his first attempt to return to the NBA. The 27-year-old spent the 2025-26 season overseas with Maccabi Tel Aviv in the EuroLeague.
He would average 15.2 points and 2.5 rebounds last season for Maccabi while helping win the Israeli Basketball Premier League Championship. Maccabi would go on to miss the EuroLeague playoffs after finishing the regular season with an 18-20 record.
The 2018 first-round pick used his NBA opt-out with Maccabi Tel Aviv before signing with the Denver Nuggets earlier this offseason, says Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
Walker last played in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2024-25 season. Across 20 games (seven starts) in the campaign, Walker averaged 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists.
Lonnie Walker Appeared in Two Preseason Games With Nuggets Before Getting Waived
Lonnie Walker had appeared in just two preseason games with the Denver Nuggets before getting waived on Monday.
Walker debuted with the Nuggets on Oct. 4 in a win over the Utah Jazz; he finished with three points, three rebounds, and two assists on 1-for-4 shooting in nine minutes. He followed up with one point on 0-for-1 shooting in eight minutes in a loss to the Jazz two days later, on Oct. 6.
Denver’s current salary cap situation makes them the only team in the NBA in the second apron. With that in mind, Walker’s chances of making the Nuggets’ regular-season roster were slim.
Denver will keep making roster cuts to get below the second apron and avoid the roster limitations that come with it.
Nuggets Make Roster Space, Waive Veteran Guard