The former NBA guard joins the Israeli powerhouse before the 2025/26 season, expected to play a key role and boost athleticism and scoring in the yellow-and-blue’s backcourt. After receiving interest from several Euroleague clubs – including a two-year offer from Hapoel Tel Aviv – Lonnie Walker IV and his agent, George S.
The former NBA guard joins the Israeli powerhouse before the 2025/26 season, expected to play a key role and boost athleticism and scoring in the yellow-and-blue’s backcourt.
After receiving interest from several Euroleague clubs – including a two-year offer from Hapoel Tel Aviv – Lonnie Walker IV and his agent, George S. Langberg of GSL Sports Group, officially signed a three-year, $10 million contract this week with Maccabi Tel Aviv.
The former NBA guard joins the Israeli powerhouse ahead of the 2025/26 season, where he is expected to play a central role and add elite athleticism and scoring to the yellow-and-blue’s backcourt.
Walker’s decision to join Maccabi marks one of the most high-profile NBA-to-Euroleague moves of the offseason and reflects both the player’s ambition and Maccabi’s growing pull as a premier European destination. The deal includes an NBA out-clause valid until August 1 this year and July 15 in the 2026 and 2027 offseasons. Its total value exceeds $10 million, placing him among the EuroLeague’s top earners.
For Maccabi, a club with deep history, rabid fan support, and a passionate national following in Israel, Walker’s arrival brings a new layer of international recognition. While the team is no stranger to big names, rarely has a player of Walker’s NBA pedigree joined in his prime – coming off a strong finish with the Philadelphia 76ers and a productive Euroleague stint with Žalgiris Kaunas.
Walker began the 2023/24 season unsigned after being waived by the Boston Celtics, but eventually landed with Žalgiris, where he averaged 13.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, earning a performance index rating (PIR) of 11.3. He was particularly impactful in key games, scoring 24 points in a win over Panathinaikos and 26 in Belgrade against Partizan.
Euroleague season was cut short
His Euroleague season was cut short by an NBA return in late February, when he signed a two-year deal with the 76ers following a midseason buyout. He responded with 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game in 20 appearances, though the Sixers declined his $2.9 million player option due to offseason cap concerns.
Between 2018 and 2024, Walker appeared in 322 NBA regular-season games for the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles LakerS, Brooklyn Nets, and 76ers. He is best remembered for his time with the Lakers, where he was a key rotation player in the first half of the 2022/23 season and helped keep the team competitive until the trade deadline.
His defining moment came on May 8, 2023, during the Lakers’ second-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors – and it didn’t arrive until the fourth quarter of Game 4. Coach Darvin Ham, searching for a spark in a struggling guard rotation, turned to Walker in Game 3. He responded with a strong 12-point performance on 4-for-6 shooting in 24 minutes.
But it was Game 4 that cemented his legacy. The Lakers, playing at home and trailing by single digits in the fourth quarter, were looking for answers. Walker, who had not taken a shot in the first half, was reinserted with 3:48 left in the third quarter – and he never came out. He proceeded to score 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the fourth quarter alone, helping the Lakers come from behind to take the lead and ultimately win the game.
The performance became known as “The Lonnie Walker Game.” It was a poetic, unforgettable showing – and even echoed history: 26 years earlier to the day, on May 8, 1997, Kobe Bryant also scored 15+ points off the bench in a Lakers playoff win.
Through injuries, roster uncertainty, and role changes, Walker remained resilient.
“Candle stay lit,” he posted after the game, a nod to the persistence that has defined his career.
Now, he brings that same mindset to Israel – a country with a growing basketball culture and a team ready to contend. Walker is expected to thrive in Tel Aviv, a city that has embraced American stars before and where Maccabi fans will no doubt rally around their new high-flying guard.
For Walker, this move offers a fresh start in one of international basketball’s most passionate markets. For Maccabi Tel Aviv, it’s a bold step toward reclaiming Euroleague glory – with a proven winner ready to lead the charge.
Category: General Sports
