The New York Knicks have addressed the final holes in their depth chart at both guard positions, but another talented playmaker could insure them with more provisions in 2024-25.
Former Brooklyn Nets combo guard Lonnie Walker IV is a free agent the Knicks could look to stash on their bench on a minimum deal next season. Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley made the case that the Knicks could benefit from giving Walker IV a season to prove himself:
“Lonnie Walker IV has more than once appeared en route to a substantial pay raise, but it appears that bump will elude him once again,” Buckley wrote.
“The Knicks should try capitalizing on his seemingly dry market. The chance to hold a prove-it campaign under the bright lights of the Big Apple while simultaneously joining the championship chase could sound awfully inviting.”
Knicks: Lonnie Walker IV is a high-level producer in limited minutes
Walker IV is a talented scorer who can also bring the ball up and facilitate sets. In only 17.4 minutes per game off the Nets bench, the Miami product put up an impressive 9.7 points, drilling 1.8 threes at a 38.4 percent clip. Walker IV also contributed 0.6 steals.
His per 36-minute numbers translated to 20.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals a night. Of course, those numbers give context to his high-level output in limited court time, but most importantly, the Pennsylvania product could give the Knicks intangibles that would spark their offense and give them momentum in the most critical of situations.
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Walker IV could be a sparkplug off the Knicks bench in 2024-25
Every championship team needs a player who can come in off the bench and directly impact one playoff game, particularly in the Finals. The Miami Heat had that with Mike Miller in 2012 and 2013. Gary Neal gave the San Antonio Spurs life in the 2013 NBA Finals. The 1981 Boston Celtics had M.L. Carr come off the bench and give them great production in that year’s Finals against Moses Malone’s Houston Rockets, including 11 points in their 29-point Game 5 victory.
Walker IV has great athleticism and stays ready to contribute when his number is called. The same way Alec Burks saved the Knicks in a pair of Eastern Conference Semifinals games against the Indiana Pacers in 2024 is the way Walker IV could assert himself. When last seen on one of the league’s biggest stages, the 25-year-old exploded for a monster 15-point fourth quarter for the Los Angeles Lakers in their Game 4 win in the 2023 Western Conference Semifinals against the Golden State Warriors.
The potential is there. The production is there. His readiness is a positive that can be extracted from his last campaign. The Knicks could use a player like him that can rile up the Madison Square Garden crowd. The Knicks can take advantage of his free-agent status and capitalize on a worthy cost-effective move this summer.
