Philadelphia 76ers’ New Addition Could Debut After Celtics Loss

The Philadelphia 76ers look forward to the Lonnie Walker debut.

Oct 12, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Lonnie Walker IV (12) drives to the basket against Philadelphia 76ers guard Lester Quinones (25) during the first half at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

As the Philadelphia 76ers approached their Thursday night return to action against the Boston Celtics, the head coach, Nick Nurse, made it clear that the new addition, Lonnie Walker IV, would not be available.

On Thursday night, Walker’s deal with the Sixers still wasn’t official. However, Nurse added some optimism on Walker’s status for over the weekend. The head coach noted that he may be available for the matchup on Saturday against the Brooklyn Nets.

Nick Nurse says he thinks Lonnie Walker IV may be available on Saturday vs. Brooklyn. The deal is still not official.

— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) February 20, 2025

Walker is the Sixers’ latest addition on a standard deal. He returns to the NBA after a stint in Lithuania.

Back in 2018, Walker was the 18th overall pick in the NBA Draft. He landed with the San Antonio Spurs and spent the first four seasons of his career there.

During the 2020-2021 season, Walker started in 38 of the 60 games he played. Seeing the court for a career-high 25 minutes per game, Walker posted averages of 11 points, three rebounds, and two assists while shooting 31 percent from three.

After his run in San Antonio, Walker inked a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. His run with LA would last 56 games. Walker produced 12 points per game, knocking down 37 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.

Last year, Walker spent his season on another one-year deal. That time, it was with the Brooklyn Nets. Coming off the bench for all 58 games he played, Walker knocked down 38 percent of his threes and produced 10 points per game.

Walker hoped to play for the Boston Celtics in 2024-2025, but he didn’t make the final cuts in October. After getting waived by Boston, Walker didn’t garner too much attention on the open market, leading him to a stint in Europe. He returns to the NBA after putting up 14 points per game on 33 percent shooting from deep.

After coming up short with a blowout loss against the Celtics on Thursday, the Sixers are set to take on the Nets on Saturday night.

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