.jpg) Walker withŽalgiris Kaunas in 2025 | |
| No. 8 – Maccabi Tel Aviv | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard |
| League | Ligat HaAl EuroLeague |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1998-12-14)December 14, 1998 (age 26) Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 204 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Reading (Reading, Pennsylvania) |
| College | Miami (Florida) (2017–2018) |
| NBA draft | 2018: 1st round, 18th overall pick |
| Drafted by | San Antonio Spurs |
| Playing career | 2018–present |
| Career history | |
| 2018–2022 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2018–2019 | →Austin Spurs |
| 2022–2023 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2023–2024 | Brooklyn Nets |
| 2024–2025 | Žalgiris Kaunas |
| 2025 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2025–present | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Lonnie Walker IV (born December 14, 1998) is an American professionalbasketball player forMaccabi Tel Aviv of the IsraeliLigat HaAl and theEuroLeague. Inhigh school, he was namedMr. Pennsylvania Basketball and earnedMcDonald's All-American honors. Walker playedcollege basketball for theMiami Hurricanes.
After being named to the all-freshman team in theAtlantic Coast Conference (ACC), he was selected in the first round of the2018 NBA draft by theSan Antonio Spurs with the 18th overall pick. He played four seasons with the Spurs before signing with theLos Angeles Lakers. He has also played for theBrooklyn Nets and thePhiladelphia 76ers.
Walker was born December 14, 1998, inReading, Pennsylvania. He attendedReading Senior High School in Reading.[1] Walker made his varsity basketball debut as a freshman and played 27 games averaging eight points per game, and later as a sophomore he averaged 16.9 points per game in a short season due to injury. In 29 games, as a junior, he averaged 17.1 points per game.
During his senior year, Walker was named aMcDonald's All-American and votedMr. Pennsylvania Basketball.[2][3] He averaged a career best 18.4 points per game and surpassed Reading High grad and former NBA playerDonyell Marshall's school record in points by finishing with 1,828 total points scored. On March 25, 2017, Walker led Reading Senior High School to their first state championship in the program's 117-year history in a 64–60 win over thePine-Richland Rams. Walker finished the game with 22 points, eight rebounds, four steals, and three assists.[4]
During the season, Walker signed with theMiami Hurricanes, passing on other scholarship offers fromVillanova,Kentucky,Syracuse, andArizona.[1][5]
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lonnie Walker SG | Reading, PA | Reading HS (PA) | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 192 lb (87 kg) | Nov 16, 2016 | |
Recruit ratings:Scout:  Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: (93) | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Scout: #32 Rivals: #29 247Sports: #17 ESPN: #18 | ||||||
Sources:
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Walker made his collegiate debut with theMiami Hurricanes on November 10, 2017, recording 10 points and a season-high five assists coming off the bench in a 77–45 blowout win overGardner-Webb University. He created new highs of 12 points and 5 rebounds on December 2 in an 80–52 blowout win againstPrinceton University before recording season-highs of 26 points and 7 rebounds during his first collegiatestart three days later in a 69–54 win overBoston University. AgainstLouisville, he scored a game-high 25 points including an acrobatic layup in traffic to force overtime. In a game againstBoston College, he hit a3-pointer with two seconds remaining to win 79–78.[6] Walker finished the season averaging 11.5 points per game and was named to theACC all-freshman team.[7][8]
After his sole season with Miami concluded, Walker declared for the2018 NBA draft.[9]
On June 21, 2018, Walker was selected with the 18th overall pick by theSan Antonio Spurs in the2018 NBA draft. Walker was later included in the 2018NBA Summer League roster of the Spurs.[10] On July 11, 2018, the Spurs announced that they signed Walker.[11] On October 6, 2018, Walker was revealed to have a right medial meniscus tear.[12] On November 25, 2018, the San Antonio Spurs assigned Walker the first time of the season to theAustin Spurs.[13] Walker made his NBA debut on January 3, 2019, in a 125–107 win against theToronto Raptors, scoring three points and grabbing one rebound in five minutes of play.[14]
On December 3, 2019, Walker scored a career-high 28 points, including 19 in the 4th quarter, in a 135–133 double overtime win over theHouston Rockets with four rebounds, three steals and a block.[15]
On July 6, 2022, Walker signed with theLos Angeles Lakers on a one-year, $6.5M contract.[16] He began the2022–23 season playing in 32 games, all starts, before being sidelined beginning in late December with kneetendinitis.[17][18] At the time, he was averaging 14.7 points in 29.8 minutes per game and shooting 45.5% from the field and 38.9% on 3-pointers.[18] He seemed to be the Lakers top scorer afterLeBron James,Anthony Davis, andRussell Westbrook.[19] Walker returned after missing 14 games,[17] but his playing time was limited with the development ofAustin Reaves and particularly after the Lakers acquiredD'Angelo Russell,Malik Beasley,Jarred Vanderbilt, andRui Hachimura before the trade deadline.[18][19] After playing in a bit shy of 28 minutes through the first eight games of the2023 playoffs, Walker returned to the rotation and scored 12 points in 25 minutes in a 127–97 win overGolden State, giving the Lakers a 2–1 series lead in the conference semifinals.[18] In Game 4, he scored all 15 of his points in the fourth quarter to help the Lakers overcome a seven-point deficit and win 104–101.[20]
On July 10, 2023, Walker signed a reported one-year contract with theBrooklyn Nets.[21] On June 29, 2024, Walker said after the season finale he was unsatisfied with the disrespect he received from the Brooklyn Nets' coaching staff and became a free agent after the season.
On August 28, Walker signed a reported one-year contract with theBoston Celtics,[22] but was waived on October 19.[23]
On October 30, 2024, Walker signed withŽalgiris Kaunas of theLithuanian Basketball League (LKL) and theEuroLeague.[24] He helped Žalgiris win theKing Mindaugas Cup, the top domestic cup competition, on February 16, 2025. On February 19, he parted ways with the team in order to return to the NBA.[25]
On February 21, 2025, Walker signed with his hometown team, thePhiladelphia 76ers.[26] After the2025 NBA season, the 76ers declined to exercise their team option on Walker's contract, making him an unrestricted free agent.[27]
On July 24, 2025, Walker signed a two-year contract withMaccabi Tel Aviv of theIsraeli Basketball Premier League and theEuroLeague. The contract is worth approximately $5 million gross. Deal includes NBA exit clauses for 2025,and 2026.[28]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | San Antonio | 17 | 0 | 6.9 | .348 | .385 | .800 | 1.0 | .5 | .4 | .2 | 2.6 |
| 2019–20 | San Antonio | 61 | 12 | 16.2 | .426 | .406 | .721 | 2.3 | 1.1 | .5 | .2 | 6.4 |
| 2020–21 | San Antonio | 60 | 38 | 25.4 | .420 | .355 | .814 | 2.6 | 1.7 | .5 | .3 | 11.2 |
| 2021–22 | San Antonio | 70 | 6 | 23.0 | .407 | .314 | .784 | 2.6 | 2.2 | .6 | .3 | 12.1 |
| 2022–23 | L.A. Lakers | 56 | 32 | 23.2 | .448 | .365 | .858 | 1.9 | 1.1 | .5 | .3 | 11.7 |
| 2023–24 | Brooklyn | 58 | 0 | 17.4 | .423 | .384 | .763 | 2.2 | 1.3 | .6 | .3 | 9.7 |
| 2024–25 | Philadelphia | 20 | 7 | 23.9 | .420 | .354 | .800 | 3.2 | 2.5 | .5 | .3 | 12.4 |
| Career | 342 | 95 | 20.5 | .422 | .356 | .795 | 2.3 | 1.5 | .5 | .3 | 10.0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | San Antonio | 6 | 1 | 3.5 | .375 | .000 | — | .3 | .5 | .0 | .0 | 1.0 |
| 2023 | L.A. Lakers | 13 | 0 | 13.8 | .483 | .382 | .750 | .9 | .8 | .5 | .1 | 6.2 |
| Career | 19 | 1 | 10.5 | .471 | .371 | .750 | .7 | .7 | .4 | .1 | 4.5 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | Žalgiris | 19 | 15 | 22.3 | .387 | .331 | .857 | 3.2 | 1.8 | .9 | .2 | 13.6 | 11.3 |
| Career | 19 | 15 | 22.3 | .387 | .331 | .857 | 3.2 | 1.8 | .9 | .2 | 13.6 | 11.3 | |
| Year | Team | League | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 |  Žalgiris | LKL | 10 | 17.4 | .530 | .540 | .714 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 0.4 | .5 | 12.8 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Miami | 32 | 18 | 27.8 | .415 | .346 | .738 | 2.6 | 1.9 | .9 | .5 | 11.5 |
Walker is the son of Lonnie Walker III who moved fromNew Jersey toReading, Pennsylvania, to play basketball atAlvernia University.[29] Walker III dropped out of university when Walker IV was born in 1998 and he had to raise his son as asingle parent while working multiple jobs.[29][30] Walker IV was encouraged to read after school by his father and maintains reading as part of his pregame ritual.[30]
Walker has a dog named Zola (named afterthe evil robot with the same name), who appeared with him in aPETA ad campaign, reminding people not to leave their dogs in hot, parked cars.[31]
In June 2020, Walker revealed he had been the victim ofsexual abuse by family members as an adolescent, and had grown out his trademark long hairstyle as a coping mechanism. In deciding to cut his hair, Walker described the act as having "shed my skin mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually."[32]
