Signing Grade: Nuggets Agree to One-Year Deal With Lonnie Walker IV

The Denver Nuggets have had a gaping roster hole all offseason at the guard position, with only four players on standard contracts to make up a shaky backcourt group, but they have found an unexpected solution to their problem.

Per ESPN's Shams Charania, the Nuggets have agreed to a one-year, $3.3 million deal with Lonnie Walker IV, helping the former 18th-overall pick complete his NBA comeback after a couple of years overseas.

"Lonnie Walker IV has agreed to a one-year, $3.3 million deal with the Denver Nuggets, agent George S. Langberg of GSLSportsGroup told ESPN. Walker was with Maccabi Tel Aviv in the EuroLeague after last playing in the NBA in 2024-25 and now enters his 8th season in the league," Charania reported on Wednesday night.

Lonnie Walker IV has agreed to a one-year, $3.3 million deal with the Denver Nuggets, agent George S. Langberg of @GSLSportsGroup told ESPN. Walker was with Maccabi Tel Aviv in the EuroLeague after last playing in the NBA in 2024-25 and now enters his 8th season in the league. pic.twitter.com/tvxQc2RRjz
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 6, 2026

Walker, 27, certainly fills a void in Denver's backcourt while bringing a versatile scoring punch, athleticism, and downhill playmaking to the Nuggets' underwhelming bench unit.

Is this a good signing?

The Nuggets had two open roster spots before this reported signing, with one expected to be reserved for restricted free agent Peyton Watson and the other to be used on an extra backup ball-handler. Of course, by signing Walker, they still have the option to bring back Watson, but they have opted to bring more of an off-ball guard than another backup point guard.

In his last NBA season, playing 20 games for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2024-25, Walker averaged 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game, while shooting 42% from the field and 35.4% from beyond the arc. With an impressive offensive game, it remained a big question around the NBA why Walker has struggled to secure a spot in the league, but he is finally getting his chance on a minimum contract in Denver.

When Lonnie Walker took over the game for the Lakers in Game 4 pic.twitter.com/Q9K8yzCr2Q
— groovyyzo (@groovyyzo) March 23, 2026

Sure, Walker gives the Nuggets some backcourt depth, but this was certainly not the move anyone expected them to make. In their defense, the NBA free agency market does not have any names that jump off the page. But they have now brought in more new players from the EuroLeague pool than from NBA free agency this offseason, with Walker joining Alpha Diallo in Denver, making for an unorthodox strategy.

Signing Grade: C+

We can hold out hope that Walker can make an impact in Denver, but there is no guarantee that he actually fills the void in the Nuggets' lineup. The Nuggets' backup guards are now Tyus Jones, Julian Strawther, and Lonnie Walker IV, and on paper, this group is a recipe for disaster.

Walker is not a good defender, and his offensive game will likely not even be enough to keep him in the Nuggets' rotation. Of course, we would love for Walker to prove us wrong on this, but it is hard to imagine the seven-year NBA veteran making a real impact in Denver.

Time will tell if Walker can make the other 29 NBA teams regret not giving him his chance at an NBA comeback, and maybe that chip on his shoulder will fuel him to a career year in Denver, but we should keep our expectations realistic.

Sign up for our free Denver Nuggets On SI newsletter, and get breaking Nuggets news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google