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Sixers Could Get Important Boost With Player Upgrade vs Spurs

Lonnie Walker's NBA comeback is likely to continue in Friday's Sixers-Spurs battle.

Justin Grasso

Mar 9, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Lonnie Walker IV (16) drives to shoot against Utah Jazz center Kyle Filipowski (22) in the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Mar 9, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Lonnie Walker IV (16) drives to shoot against Utah Jazz center Kyle Filipowski (22) in the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
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Looking to work his way back into the NBA for the long haul, Lonnie Walker IV hit a tough roadblock during one of his recent outings with the Philadelphia 76ers.

In a matchup on the road against the Toronto Raptors, Walker checked out of the game after 20 seconds. After hitting his head on the court, Walker was ruled out and evaluated for a concussion.

When the Sixers hosted the Indiana Pacers in the following game, Walker was officially diagnosed with a concussion and ruled out. He ended up missing four games in a row for Philadelphia, including the most recent loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

On Friday, Walker could be back in the mix. According to the official NBA injury report, the veteran forward has been upgraded to probable. He could be in line to face his former team, the San Antonio Spurs, on Friday.

Before the 2024-2025 NBA season tipped off, Walker was looking to spend the season with the Boston Celtics. After his preseason campaign, the Celtics cut ties with Walker. He ended up taking his talents beyond the NBA.

After the NBA’s trade deadline, Walker received interest from the Sixers. He managed to sign with the team ahead of their matchup against the Brooklyn Nets on February 22. So far, Walker has appeared in 10 games for the Sixers.

Since getting back in the NBA, Walker has been posting averages of eight points, three rebounds, and two assists. He was attempting 4.9 threes per game, shooting at a 33 percent clip.

Barring any setbacks, Walker should be good to go for his 11th game on Friday in San Antonio, where he spent the first four years of his career.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA

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