Lonnie Walker IV explains why he signed with the Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn Nets guard Lonnie Walker IV has had an interesting five seasons in the NBA ever since being selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the 18th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Walker signed with the Nets this offseason for one-year and $2.3 million to be a part of a guard rotation that includes starters Spencer Dinwiddie and Mikal Bridges.
Walker, 24, was with the Los Angeles Lakers last season and while he came off the bench for the majority of the season, he still showed that he had his ability to score the basketball in almost any scenario. Brooklyn has been looking to address its weaknesses at the center spot and at the guard spot since they are looking to have a better performance next season.
The Nets took care of business this season by having a very solid draft followed by the trades of Joe Harris and Patty Mills that gave Brooklyn the financial flexibility to re-sign Cam Johnson and have money left over to sign free-agents like Walker. Given Walker’s success with the Lakers last season by making it to the Western Conference Finals, one would think that Walker could have signed elsewhere for a better contract.
Walker was at the Vegas summer league to take in the atmosphere and support his teammates as they tried to prove themselves in front of raucous crowds. According to Brian Lewis of the New York Post, Walker explained why he signed with the Nets above every other team that was interested in him:
“Opportunity. Understanding (that) this is a very young core group looking to build, looking to grow, and I fit perfectly with the fellas that’s amongst the team as far as Cam *Johnson) and Mikal Bridges. Off the court, we have similar outlooks on life, and on the court we play very well. Our chemistry as far as growth and becoming a very special team is going to be something really nice.”
