Lonnie Walker IV’s path to Denver’s final roster spot already looks narrow, and the Nuggets’ first preseason game didn’t do him many favors.
Walker entered camp on a non-guaranteed deal, which made the situation pretty clear from the start: he’d have to earn his way onto the team. For Denver, that setup matters because the Nuggets are already in serious salary cap trouble, sitting as the only team above the NBA’s dreaded second-apron penalty threshold. If they finish the season over that line, their 2034 first-round draft pick becomes frozen and untradable.
That financial squeeze is why Denver has been leaving its 15th roster spot open. Filling it with a player who may not crack the rotation only adds salary and makes it harder for the Nuggets to maneuver their way back under the threshold. It can also leave them more exposed to pressure from other teams, force them into giving up draft picks they’d rather keep, and tack on more fines.
Against that backdrop, Walker’s first preseason outing didn’t exactly make the case for a bigger role. In Denver’s 109-97 loss to the Utah Jazz in Boulder, he logged just a little over 9 minutes and went 1 for 4 from three-point range. He did manage 1 block and 1 steal against Utah’s third-stringers, but the overall workload was light.
For a player trying to prove he belongs, the expectation would be more run alongside the rotation group to show how he fits. Walker may get another chance when the Nuggets face the Jazz in Utah in preseason game two, but if his minutes stay limited there, his odds of sticking around will look even worse.
It would be a tough outcome for Walker, who left Maccabi Tel Aviv in the EuroLeague to try to get back to the NBA. He spent all of last season out of the league and passed up money to take this shot.
If Denver does move on, he should still have options, whether that means another NBA opportunity or a return overseas. But from the Nuggets’ side, keeping him only makes sense if he’s going to be part of the rotation.
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