A year ago, Lonnie Walker IV chose Tel Aviv over Madrid, holding out for an NBA exit clause that Real Madrid would not give him. Spanish reports now suggest he is about to make the move anyway, one EuroLeague season later.
ONE reports that Spanish media regard a deal between Walker and Real Madrid as close, with the guard seen as one of the leading candidates to fill the backcourt spot vacated by Mario Hezonja. Journalist Nacho Bravo of Copa went further on social media, calling the transfer "closed" and posting an image of Walker in Real Madrid colors — though ONE notes the deal has not been formally finalized.
Other Spanish outlets are more cautious but point the same way. Eurohoops and Basketnews both describe Real Madrid as being in active negotiations for the 27-year-old American, who is remembered in Madrid for torching the club with a 27-point night at the Bernabeu last October that helped Maccabi steal a 92-91 win there.
Real Madrid's interest in Walker is not new. The club pursued him last summer too, before his insistence on an NBA opt-out clause pushed him toward Maccabi Tel Aviv instead, according to Eurohoops and Madridistanews.
Spanish analyst Sergio Vegas, cited by ONE, called the fit "excellent," saying Walker "has everything" and that a second season in Europe could see him take another step forward.
The numbers back the interest. Walker averaged 15.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists across 28 EuroLeague games this past season while shooting 35.1 percent from three, and posted 15.6 points a game domestically for Maccabi in Israel's top flight.
There is a financial wrinkle. Walker earns roughly $2.2 million a year on his Maccabi contract, and with his NBA exit option now expired, any move to Real Madrid would require Maccabi's sign-off. ONE reports that sources close to the situation believe the club would not stand in the way of a sufficiently strong offer, while a separate report from 24segundosenblanco put Real Madrid's proposed annual salary at around €2 million.
Nothing is signed, and Maccabi has made no public comment. But with several Spanish outlets converging on the same story within the same news cycle, the direction of travel looks clear even if the final numbers are not yet locked in.
