Could Nets' Lonnie Walker IV be headed elsewhere in free-agency?

The Brooklyn Nets have decided that they’re going to enter a full-scale rebuild after trading Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks in exchange for as much as five first-round picks. Even though Brooklyn will be mainly focused on development, they still have to participate in free-agency and one of their free-agents could be headed elsewhere.

On Saturday, Nets guard Lonnie Walker IV made a post on X that seemed to indicate that he feels disrespected at this point of his career. It’s hard to tell if Walker was responding to someone or something specific in terms of his disrespect, but he also made a great point in that he hasn’t reached his prime yet.

Walker, 25, is coming off a 2023-24 season in which he averaged 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 42.3% from the field and 38.4% from three-point land. Those numbers underscore just how good he was to begin the season as he put up 14.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game on 48.9% from the field and 46.3% from deep.

After being regarded as a prime candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award, Walker wasn’t the same after suffering a hamstring injury that cost him all of December (17 games). He averaged just 7.7 points on 38.5% field-goal shooting the rest of the way and after head coach Jacque Vaughn was let go during the All-Star break, Walker saw his role diminished under interim head coach Kevin Ollie.

Walker said after the season finale that he was “just looking for a home” and “looking for a team that finds me valuable and an important piece for a team that I can play and consistently play.” Walker may be able to call Brooklyn his home, but it all depends on what he’s looking for in terms of his contract and whether he can see himself in a big-enough role for his liking.