Nuggets linked to former key NBA bench player now overseas

The Denver Nuggets are in desperate need of bench help and their answer may be a 26-year-old currently playing in Lithuania.

According to longtime NBA report Marc Stein, the last two championship-winning teams are the ones to watch for Lonnie Walker IV’s possible return to the league. Both the Boston Celtics and Nuggets have interest in the six-foot-four guard with six years of NBA experience. Walker just chose to play for Žalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania but he has a buyout that an NBA team can activate before Feb. 18.

Walker played for the Brooklyn Nets a season ago, averaging 9.7 points, 1.3 assists and 2.2 rebounds over 58 games off the bench while shooting 42% from the field and 38% from deep. Those are in line with his career averages, where Walker previously played for the Los Angeles Lakers and spent four seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, who drafted him. Walker played in all four games of the Nuggets sweep of Los Angeles in 2022-23, hitting a few threes and being a decent contributor.

Before Walker signed with Žalgiris Kaunas, he spent time with the Celtics during preseason. Boston wanted to keep him but couldn’t because of salary implications and rather than going to the G League Walker went overseas.

The Nuggets are 3-3 with two tight losses that may have been avoided if Denver’s bench was better. Through six games the team’s bench has a net rating of -9.2, which is by far the worst in the league. Basically for every 100 possessions played, Denver’s bench is being outpaced by nine points. The next worst team is 0-6 Utah, whose bench is nearly a full point better at -8.3. Meanwhile, the Nuggets starters have a rating of 6.8, which is just slightly worse than the 7.1 rating the starters had last year.

The bench struggles have been based on an erratic Russell Westbrook, Dario Saric not finding his footing early while youngsters Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther have struggled. Michael Malone has already had to dip into DeAndre Jordan and Hunter Tyson with players like Trey Alexander and Zeke Nnaji expected to get playing time soon. Meanwhile, the Nuggets failed second-round project of Jalen Pickett would be an easy release for the team to clear a roster spot to sign Walker. The Nuggets would not be able to offer Walker anything more than the league minimum but he could instantly improve Denver’s worst bench in the league.