Nuggets Waive Lonnie Walker IV After Bulls Game: What This Move Means

It felt like the writing was on the wall for Lonnie Walker IV, and now the Denver Nuggets are reportedly waiving the 27-year-old guard. The Nuggets picked up Walker IV on a non-guaranteed training camp contract this offseason, giving the former first-round pick a chance at an NBA comeback after he spent the past two seasons in Europe.

However, after just three preseason games and nearly two weeks of official practice with the team, the Nuggets have seen enough of Walker. HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported on Monday that the Nuggets are cutting ties with the veteran guard, officially eliminating him from contention for their final roster spot.

The Denver Nuggets have waived Lonnie Walker, league sources told @hoopshype.
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) October 12, 2026

Walker had an underwhelming preseason run with the Nuggets. In his preseason debut, he had three points, three rebounds, and two assists on 1-4 shooting in nine minutes of action. In game two, he finished with just one point in eight minutes. In game three, he was removed from the rotation entirely, logging a DNP-CD.

After he failed to log a minute in Denver's win over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday night, it became clear that he had no future with the franchise. After the Nuggets initially signed him, there was some optimism that he would be in line to compete for the team's 15th roster spot. Obviously, that tone shifted recently, especially with the emergence of Denver's other guards.

Two-way guys stepping up

One of the most obvious reasons the Nuggets feel comfortable letting Walker go is the talent they have on two-way contracts. Ryan Nembhard, Cam Whitmore, and Bryce Hopkins have all arguably been more impressive than Walker so far, and the Nuggets already have them under contract for great value.

Sure, Walker provides a veteran presence, but if the Nuggets want a score-first guard off the bench, they'll just turn to Whitmore instead. Spending extra money on Walker, when they don't really need him, would be a head-scratcher for a team already in a tough financial position.

Cam Whitmore's ELEVATION 📈

14 points off the bench in the @nuggets preseason W! pic.twitter.com/BTItiJnAwC
— NBA (@NBA) October 7, 2026

One of the most glaring weaknesses for the Nuggets this offseason was guard depth, which gave them a reason to at least bring in Walker and let him compete for a spot. Of course, when they signed Whitmore to a two-way deal, it immediately cast a shadow on Walker's chances, but they were filling a roster need. Now, with guys like Whitmore, Hopkins, and even the rise of Alpha Diallo, the Nuggets no longer have a need for Walker.

We can hope that Walker lands on his feet somewhere else, because he is a talented scorer who did not get much opportunity to prove it in preseason, but it is tough to find an extra roster spot just a week before the regular season. We could see Walker make the move back overseas, as he was productive in the EuroLeague last year,

Regardless of where he ends up, it is now clear that the Nuggets will go into the regular season with an open roster spot.

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