Ex-Lakers playoff hero signs deal with 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers have added another former Los Angeles Laker to their roster.

Shams Charania of ESPN reported on Tuesday that the 76ers have signed veteran wing Lonnie Walker IV. Walker is getting a two-year, $3 million contract from the team, Charania adds.

The 26-year-old Walker, a former first-round pick by the San Antonio Spurs in 2018 (No. 18 overall), had been playing this season in Lithuania for Zalgiris Kaunas of the EuroLeague. But he had an NBA buyout clause in his contract with Zalgiris, which was set to expire on Tuesday.

Philadelphia is currently down guard Eric Gordon due to a wrist injury. As a result, they have decided to trigger Walker’s buyout at the last minute.

Walker already played during his NBA career for the Spurs, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Brooklyn Nets. He ended up as a playoff hero for the Lakers specifically, single-handedly winning them a playoff game during their run to the Western Conference Finals in 2023. During his last NBA stop with the Nets in 2023-24, Walker averaged 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 17.4 minutes per game off the bench. Overall in his six-year NBA career, Walker holds similar averages of 9.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 20.3 minutes per game.

The 76ers have been a massive disappointment this season at 20-34, but because of how top-heavy the Eastern Conference is, they are (somewhat miraculously) only 1.5 games out of a play-in spot. Walker, a 6-foot-5 scorer and defender, should be a mainstay on the wing for Philly for the remainder of this season.