It’s plain as day; the Nuggets bench is a massive problem and one without an obvious fix. The team has scarce resources to upgrade the roster and any tricky would get extremely tricky. For the most part, they are stuck with what they’ve got.
A lot of what they’ve got is good, but the bench is simply not. The young guys don’t look ready for the moment and the old guys look washed up. The team is bleeding points every time their starters take a rest. Stars like Nikola Jokic are already being overtaxed just to pull out games in October and November against bad teams.
Something has to change and fast. The Nuggets are going to need to get creative and they are likely going to have to eat some money, but that’s the price you pay for making bad decisions - as Calvin Booth and company have.
One possible and realistic option that I mentioned a few weeks ago was bringing in current free agent Lonnie Walker IV. Walker spent training camp and the preseason with the Celtics but was waived before opening night.
There was some thought that Walker might latch on with another team or play in the G-League, but instead, he signed a deal to play in the EuroLeague with the Lithuanian team, Žalgiris Kaunas.
Nuggets reportedly in on Lonnie Walker IV
However, there is a buyout option in Walker’s contract so that he can sign with any NBA team up to February 18th (shortly after the NBA trade deadline). If Walker impresses overseas, he may be able to make his way back to the NBA before the season is over.
On Monday, Marc Stein reported that the Celtics are still interested in bringing back Walker later in the season if they can create roster flexibility, and he also added that the Nuggets are a ‘team to watch’ in terms of signing Walker.
This is music to my ears. Walker is just 25 years old, he’s an excellent athlete, and a guy who has proven himself in big moments in the playoffs as recently as two years ago. He’s not a great player, but he’s a solid NBA rotation piece and a massive upgrade on anything the Nuggets currently have on their bench.
Waiving Jalen Pickett to sign the proven veteran Walker should be a no-brainer. The bench needs help in a bad way and Walker can provide it. He’d immediately be one of the team’s best ballhandlers and someone who can actually create their own shot.
He’s not afraid to get aggressive and could step in as soon as tomorrow and provide instant offense as part of - or even the leader of - the second unit. Hopefully, this isn’t just a rumor and the Nuggets will act on this before it’s too late.