Former Spurs starter's NBA journey looks like it's over for good

Say it ain't so, but former San Antonio Spurs fan favorite Lonnie Walker IV's NBA career appears to be all but over. Lonnie Walker spent the first four seasons of his career with the Spurs and started 65 games during that span.

With eye-popping athleticism, many fans hoped that he would eventually develop into a talented player, if not a star. Unfortunately, it wasn't in the cards with him failing to work out in San Antonio.

Despite his peak athleticism, he often settled for mid-range jumpers, which he wasn't particularly good at. Worse yet, he wasn't a skilled enough 3-point shooter to help offset his inefficiency.

That, in addition to his struggles on the defensive end, resulted in San Antonio rescinding his qualifying offer and letting him become a free agent after his fourth season. That was an unusual step taken by the Spurs, but it proved to be the right call.

Lonnie Walker IV didn't work out for the Spurs and in the NBA

To Walker's credit, he still had a reasonably successful stint in the NBA. He had a decent stint with the Los Angeles Lakers, even helping them in a playoff game. Walker IV also played well for the Brooklyn Nets in the seasons following his departure from San Antonio.

Unfortunately, he wasn't signed last summer and only appeared in a few NBA games last season for the Philadelphia 76ers. Now, his NBA career appears over, with him signing with Maccabi Tel Aviv, and he is set to play in Israel next season.

If that is the end of his NBA career, it will be a disappointing finish for a player who had plenty of promise when he was drafted 18th overall back in 2018. Walker's failure to pan out underscores how difficult it is to draft.

Lonnie Walker IV is no longer an NBA player, but has a path back

In theory, Walker should have been an NBA player for far longer than he actually was. Some of that is on the NBA for undervaluing him, even after he had a solid run with the Nets.

Nevertheless, he was largely underwhelming in San Antonio, with him never quite breaking through the way many had hoped. Ironically, he was one of the most physically gifted players the Spurs have had in years, but his play style simply didn't mesh with his athleticism.

All told, despite him not working out with the Spurs, he was a reasonable gamble for them to take. He went on to have a decent career outside of San Antonio, though he didn't make enough of an impression to earn another shot in the NBA.

Still, at just 26 years old, we've seen several young players flame out, play overseas, and come back better. Hopefully, Walker will be the next player to do so.