Getty Lonnie Walker (left) is leaving the Los Angeles Lakers for the Brooklyn Nets.
The Los Angeles Lakers have had an eventful free agency period, but the team cannot keep everyone as promising guard Lonnie Walker is signing with the Brooklyn Nets, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Walker joins Dennis Schroder as two key Lakers players who have now departed in free agency.
“Free agent Lonnie Walker has agreed to a one year deal with the Brooklyn Nets, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul and agent Lucas Newton tell ESPN,” Wojnarowski tweeted on July 2, 2023.
Walker averaged 11.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists while shooting 36.5% from long range during 56 appearances, including 32 starts, for the Lakers last season. The guard’s time with Los Angeles will best be remembered for his 15-point explosion during the Lakers’ Game 4 comeback win over the Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals. Walker previously signed a one-year, $6.4 million contract with the Lakers last offseason.
Los Angeles Lakers News: Rob Pelinka Chose to Sign Gabe Vincent Over Lonnie Walker & Dennis Schroder
I WILL NEVER FORGET GAME 4 LONNIE WALKER 🥹
The Lakers backcourt will look slightly different next season after the team signed former Heat starting point guard Gabe Vincent while Walker and Schroder joined new teams. General manager Rob Pelinka also inked former lottery pick Cam Reddish who could spend time at both guard and forward for the Lakers.
Los Angeles was able to re-sign Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell keeping the majority of their core players intact. The Lakers re-signed Reaves on a four-year, $56 million deal, much less than some of the initial free agent projections were for the rising guard.
“More details: Reaves’ new deal contains a player option on Year 4, a 15 percent trade kicker, and the maximum advance allowable, per sources,” The Athletic’s Shams Charania tweeted on July 1. “The Lakers included everything they legally could to make sure Reaves stayed in Los Angeles.”
What Will the Los Angeles Lakers Do Next in Free Agency?
Reaves was the final major domino to fall for the Lakers and the franchise is likely done making significant moves this offseason. The Lakers are betting on the squad that made the Western Conference finals while also adding additional key pieces like Vincent and Taurean Prince. Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer believes the Lakers have put together a winning offseason.
“This is not an instant ‘winners and losers’ of NBA free agency column, but after the first 24 hours of free agency, the Los Angeles Lakers emerged through a second consecutive transaction window with marked improvements to their roster surrounding LeBron James and Anthony Davis,” Fischer detailed on July 1. “Dating back to the February trade deadline, Rob Pelinka’s front office has targeted low-cost, productive players based on system fit who are capable of impacting games with versatility.”
If Walker re-signed with the Lakers, the guard would have been part of a crowded backcourt. Instead, Walker joins a young Nets core still searching for an identity following the mid-season blockbuster trades of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Heading into free agency, Fischer suggested Los Angeles could use the team’s bi-annual exception to re-sign Walker.
“It remains to be seen which of Lonnie Walker or Dennis Schröder the Lakers would prefer to bring back on the $4 million-plus bi-annual exception,” Fischer wrote on June 30. “Los Angeles could also attempt to split its full mid-level between Schröder and a frontcourt target such as Plumlee, sources said.”