Dec 6, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonnie Walker IV (4) passes beside Cleveland Cavaliers forward Lamar Stevens (8) in the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Lonnie Walker was the Game 4 hero for the Lakers. How will one hot stretch of clutch shooting change his upcoming free agency?
Lonnie Walker’s 15 fourth-quarter points were the difference for the Lakers in Game 4, helping drive a comeback that secured them a 3-1 series lead. It was a surprising outburst from a player who saw just 15 minutes of playing time in the first round and didn’t play at all in Game 1 against the Warriors.
Walker signed a one-year deal with the Lakers this offseason, finding muted interest after walking away from the San Antonio Spurs. By most measures, he had a solid season — averaging 11.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game, shooting 36.5 percent from beyond the arc and posting a career-high effective field goal percentage.
But the Lakers clearly didn’t think he was the answer and dramatically remade their wing and backcourt rotations at the trade deadline. Walker’s minute fell dramatically after that and, playoff heroics notwithstanding, it seems unlikely he’ll be back considering the money the Lakers may have to commit to D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves. Still, Game 4 helped raise his profile and there are more than a few teams who could take a gamble on an athletic, 24-year-old wing with scoring upside.
NBA rumors: Which teams could be most interested in Lonnie Walker in free agency?
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers’ lack of complementary shooters and creators was dramatically exposed by the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs and they’ll need to address that with more than one addition this offseason. The Cavs are reportedly interested in re-signing Caris LeVert but even if they do, Walker might be worth a look as an additional wing off the bench. He’s not a great defender and they might prefer a player with a more reliable track record as an outside shooter. But Walker’s slashing and self-creation abilities would be welcome additions and, at a reasonable cost, he could be a nice Plan B to LeVert or whoever else the Cavs land as Plan A.