Lonnie Walker's stint with Denver lasted only the preseason. The Nuggets released the shooting guard on Monday, according to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, before his contract became guaranteed. Walker had signed a one-year minimum deal with no guarantees in August, a structure that allows the team to cut the player without his salary counting against the cap. In the preseason he saw limited action: two games, 2.0 points per game, and fewer than nine minutes per contest.
His departure leaves an open question: whether to keep waiting for an NBA opportunity or return to the EuroLeague, where he was a scoring force last season. With Maccabi Tel Aviv, he averaged 15.2 points across 28 EuroLeague games. A year earlier, with Zalgiris, he posted 13.6 points per game before returning to the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers in February 2025.
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Everything points to Europe. According to SoloBasket, Walker recently changed representation and is now represented by BeoBasket, the agency of Misko Raznatovic, one of the most influential in the European market. The same outlet lists Partizan among the primary suitors and doesn't rule out a return to Maccabi, which knows the player well.
The third name on the list is Real Madrid, which has an urgent need on the perimeter. The club confirmed on Monday that Gabriel Deck will undergo surgery in the coming days for instability in his left shoulder following a dislocation. The medical report gives no timeline, though several outlets report an absence of between five and six months. Madrid is already tracking another NBA-sourced player, John Konchar, and Walker offers a very different profile: less defense and more scoring.
Selected 18th overall in the 2018 draft by the San Antonio Spurs, Walker spent four seasons in Texas before playing for the Lakers and the Nets. At 27 years old, he hits the market in his prime with two seasons of European experience.