The Denver Nuggets have waived Lonnie Walker IV, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who reported the move on Monday, October 12.
Walker signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with Denver on August 5. The deal included an Exhibit 9 clause and was non-guaranteed, giving the Nuggets flexibility to move on from the 27-year-old guard before the start of the 2026-27 NBA season.
The decision ends Walker’s latest attempt to establish himself in the NBA after spending the past two seasons playing overseas before returning to the league with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2024-25.
Walker last played in the NBA with Philadelphia during the 2024-25 season, averaging 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 20 games. He shot 42.0% from the field and 35.4% from three-point range while averaging 24 minutes per contest.
Before joining the 76ers, Walker spent the 2024-25 season with Zalgiris Kaunas, where he averaged 12.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 10 Lithuanian League games. He also recorded 13.6 points per game across 19 EuroLeague appearances, shooting 33.1% from beyond the arc.
Walker moved to Maccabi Tel Aviv for the 2025-26 campaign and continued to produce offensively in Europe. He averaged 15.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 13 Israeli League games, while posting 15.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists over 28 EuroLeague appearances.
Walker was one of several minimum-salary additions as Denver sought to strengthen its supporting cast around Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray while operating under significant financial restrictions.
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Denver’s roster changes followed the departure of Peyton Watson, who joined the Cleveland Cavaliers in a five-team sign-and-trade worth four years and $88 million. The Nuggets received a 2031 first-round pick from Cleveland and a 2032 second-round pick from Sacramento as part of the transaction.
The team also moved on from Tim Hardaway Jr., who signed with the Miami Heat, while Jonas Valanciunas was waived and stretched and eventually joined Zalgiris.
With Denver remaining above the second salary-cap apron, its options for adding salary are limited. Non-guaranteed contracts such as Walker’s provided flexibility as the front office evaluated its roster.
Walker, the 18th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, has averaged 9.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists across his NBA career. He previously played for the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia.
