Just when things seemed to be calming down in Boston, the Celtics made another move to end the summer. Deals are made at the end of the season, though they are usually for relatively unknown players fighting to make NBA rosters.
But the Celtics ended August by signing Lonnie Walker IV to an Exhibit 10 training camp deal, the most notable name for such a move.
Soon, social media was filled with graphics that brought Walker into the Celtics’ rotation. Fans responded by expressing surprise that Brad Stevens could lure such a familiar name to a non-guaranteed deal. But the reality is that the NBA moves quickly, and while Walker has something to offer, he’s not just fighting with his teammates for a roster spot.
Walker’s Chart 10 reflects the impact of the new tax regime. Walker is entering his seventh season and hasn’t grown enough as a playmaker to secure a rotation spot on a playoff team. The 25-year-old has just reached the inflection point of his career where teams prioritize young players who excel at the end of the bench.
There are plenty of players in the draft who should pave the way for the next generation to earn roster spots. That’s why Oshai Brissett is still looking for a new team, even if he proved last year that he deserves a roster spot in this league.
But Walker will have to contend more than anything with the luxury tax heading into training camp. Boston has deep enough size that simply signing a player for the offseason is a luxury. Walker signed a 10-show contract, a non-guaranteed training camp deal that will give him a bonus of up to $78,000 if cleared, and then signs a G League contract with the Maine Celtics.
The Celtics will likely want to keep that spot open and eventually add a player in the offseason. Unless Walker proves to be such a dangerous shooter that they can’t live without him. Boston has been healthy with its perimeter players in recent years, so it will primarily prioritize veteran depth at the center position. If the Celtics are hurting for their non-middle hitters, there are plenty of players they could sign on a short-term basis to solve that problem. But there are few free agents this year who can catch and shoot like Walker.
Walker’s range dipped late in the season, but he shot 42.7 percent on 4.9 3-point attempts per night with the Brooklyn Nets heading into March. There’s one guy in particular he can consistently beat: The semi-open spot goes to his left. He likes to move his hips and jump really high, so he jumps to his left over the receiver, giving him the balance to make the shot.
This highlight tape from his memorable playoff game with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023 shows much of the package of his game.
Walker is good enough to get over left screens and can hit a 20-footer off the catch, though that shot isn’t very consistent. What he does do well is drive into space, where he gets up in the air and beats the league’s tallest centers.
There isn’t a lot of variety in his attacks and he doesn’t accomplish much when he gets into the paint, but he’s acrobatic enough to get away with it. He has enough talent to play in the NBA. The question is whether he can improve his defensive awareness.
On the ball, he can stay in front of players, but he doesn’t show enough balance to handle the physicality well. But as a bench winger, he’s typically in a weakside support role, and that’s where he often gets lost. When he’s responsible for assisting a couple of shooters, he often has his back to his man and gets a bit lost as he tries to recover.
Walker’s camp invitation may have had something to do with Jordan Walsh’s performance in Summer League, where it looked like the second-year wing would need another year in Maine before he was ready to see the court. While Walsh projects to be a capable defender in the future once he reaches NBA speed, Walker can at least play defense without fouling and provide spacing on offense.
He’s also insurance against rookie Baylor Scheierman, who will struggle to find a rhythm shooting the ball early if the Celtics need someone on the bench end who they know can get his shot off. Jaden Springer is their other backup wing, but he plays a bigger role on both sides of the ball and is the more dominant defender fighting for playing time.
Given how important developing players are to the secondary, Boston should prioritize Scheuerman’s growth. But Walker is at least a known commodity who can crash the net and end up at the top of the NBA. In all likelihood, he’ll head to Maine and fight to earn a call-up from the Celtics or some other team at some point this season.
Now that he’s dipping his toes into the G League, he’ll face the reality that his time in the league could be over if he can’t improve his defense. If any franchise can help him get back on track, it’s the Celtics.
