Nuggets Waive Lonnie Walker IV as Veteran Guard Loses Final Roster Battle

Lonnie Walker IV’s bid to return to a regular NBA rotation ended in Denver on Monday when the Nuggets waived the veteran guard as they continued trimming their preseason roster. Walker had joined Denver on a non-guaranteed deal and appeared in two preseason games, averaging just 2.0 points in 8.6 minutes before falling out of the rotation entirely.

The move is notable because Walker entered camp with a realistic chance to compete for Denver’s final roster spot after spending much of the previous two seasons overseas. But younger, cheaper options made the competition difficult. Ryan Nembhard, Cam Whitmore and Bryce Hopkins have all made cases during camp, while Walker did not play in Denver’s Sunday victory over Chicago. Because his deal was non-guaranteed, the Nuggets can move on without carrying dead money.

Walker, 27, still has NBA experience working in his favor. The former first-round pick has played for San Antonio, the Lakers, Brooklyn and Philadelphia and owns a career scoring average around 10 points per game. He has also shown he can provide bench offense when given consistent minutes. The next question is whether another NBA team sees enough value to claim a proven scoring guard before opening night — or whether Walker’s next opportunity again comes overseas.