Jul. 2—Following his up, down and up again season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Reading High grad Lonnie Walker IV said, “My story ain’t finished.”
Now his story will continue in Brooklyn after the 24-year-old guard signed a one-year deal with the Nets as a free agent.
Walker tweeted “God’s timing is the best timing” shortly before news broke of his free agency decision, which was first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Walker’s second foray into free agency lasted a little longer than his first.
Last year, he agreed to a one-year deal worth a reported $6.5 million with the Lakers on the opening day, just hours after his original team, the San Antonio Spurs, made him a free agent by rescinding a qualifying offer.
The 6-4 Walker spent his first four seasons with the Spurs after they selected him with the 18th overall pick in the 2018 draft out of Miami.
He began his Lakers career as a starter and averaged 14.7 points per game through his first 32 games. Walker then missed the next 14 due to injury and never returned to the starting lineup.
Eventually, Walker saw his playing time significantly decrease — in nine games he didn’t even play — after the Lakers underwent a makeover at the trade deadline.
He ended up averaging 11.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game in 56 games, and shot 36.5% on 3-pointers.
Walker re-emerged as a contributor in the Lakers’ six-game win over the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals. The highlight came in Game 4 when Walker scored all 15 of his points in the fourth quarter to help Los Angeles earn a 104-101 win to take a 3-1 series lead. He also scored 13 in the Lakers’ 122-101 win in the clinching Game 6.
In his career, Walker has averaged 9.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists, and shot 34.9% from 3.
Walker was in Reading last week for the dedication of Baer Park’s newly renovated basketball court.
The $180,000 cost of the project was split between the city and the Lonnie Walker IV Foundation.
Walker led Reading High to its first PIAA championship in 2017. He was a three-time Berks Player of the Year who finished his high school career with 1,828 points. As a senior, he was a McDonald’s All-American and Pennsylvania’s Gatorade Player of the Year.