It was always possible that Lonnie Walker IV would return to the NBA before his buyout clause expired. In fact, he’s been rumored to have multiple teams interested in his services since deciding to play abroad, most notably the reigning champion Boston Celtics. However, according to The Stein Line insider Marc Stein, Walker will remain with Lithuania’s BC Zalgiris for the remainder of 2024-25. The 26-year-old former first-round pick will then look to rejoin the NBA in 2025-26.

This season, Walker’s averaging 13.5 points per game while shooting 40.0 percent from three.

Plenty of teams could use an athletic wing with upside as a slasher, spot-up shooter, playmaker and defender.

Still, not all of them could’ve guaranteed Walker would see the court as much as he’d like. The Celtics, who signed him to a training camp contract in August, certainly couldn’t have promised Walker playing time given how deep their roster is. That may have been a factor in him deciding to stay with Zalgiris, as he’s currently playing 20.6 minutes per game.

With that in mind, Walker averaged 17.4 minutes per game last season. He played at least 23 minutes per game in the three seasons preceding 2023-24. When considering his age and previous experiences, he’s probably not trying to go backwards, warming the bench. Regression is a slippery slope for anyone, especially professional athletes.