BOSTON — Lonnie Walker IV went through his first official Celtics practice, a session that heavily ran Jaylen Brown and his teammates, and understood why Boston won the 2024 championship.
Joe Mazzulla made the first practice tough on Walker IV and the rest of the Celtics as they ramp-up following a short summer. Walker IV knows he faces an up-hill battle to making the roster, the only veteran in camp on what’s effectively a tryout, Exhibit 10 contract. Those deals have a provision that allows the player to transfer to their NBA team’s G-League affiliate and receive a bonus for playing some amount of time there and as CLNS Media previously reported, that is a possibility. One Walker IV is willing to accept.
“I gotta earn it,” Walker IV said, recalling his conversation with Brad Stevens. “Being on an E10, it’s not guaranteed. I’m not coming in here with the mindset of ok, I’m on an E10 and afterward, I’m gonna get the guaranteed contract. It’s like yo, I gotta work my tail off. I really have to, each and every day, put it all on the court. First one in the gym, hopefully the last one out. Come back later on and shoot, and just be physically and mentally prepared for the outcome. He also mentioned there’s a possibility that I might spend some time in the G-League with Maine, and honestly, I’m perfectly fine with that … you gotta take it on the chin, you gotta continue to work, you gotta continue to be prepared and just keep being ready.”
The Celtics retain an open standard roster spot, which they’ve typically carried into the regular season, while Walker IV and three other players in camp compete on non-guaranteed Exhibit 10s. While it’s difficult to imagine a player more talented than Walker IV signing into that slot eventually, agreeing to a veteran’s minimum (~$2.1M cap hit) would penalize the Celtics by roughly $10-million in tax. That’s one consideration alongside whether Walker IV fits into the culture, play style and positional need on the roster.
Waiving Walker IV and sending him to Maine for some time would save tax money on a prorated basis and give Boston time to assess its roster while he adjusts his game to what the Celtics need. It’s a risk if they want to eventually retain him though. Any other team could acquire Walker IV from Maine at any time, as he’s not affiliated with Boston once the pro team waives him. It’s different for two-way players like JD Davison, Drew Peterson and Anton Watson, who have that protection from other teams. Walker IV is not two-way eligible.
That makes him landing in this situation perplexing to many, especially after a strong statistical showing in Brooklyn. His college coach Jim Larrañaga, who oversaw Walker IV’s draft process as he entered the NBA in 2018, thinks health could be a concern as it was on draft night. Larrañaga told CLNS Media that multiple teams passed on Walker IV in that draft due to medical concerns before he lost rotation spots in San Antonio, Los Angeles and Brooklyn last year due to untimely injuries. It’s not his game holding him back, but Walker IV did admit at Celtics practice that he could benefit from becoming more well-rounded.
“I wish I had a clear cut answer for why I didn’t get a guaranteed deal,” Walker IV said when asked by CLNS. “It’s just the way the cards are falling … I’m not gonna stop or put my head down because I’m not given what I expected … until then, continue to pound the rock, every day I’m trying to be better than what I was yesterday … as far as second unit scoring, I think everyone knows that I can score, my ability to do that. I’m athletic. I have the strength and the speed to play with the best of them. So I think this year I really want to lock in on that defensive side and show everyone I can play defense if I can play my true position and go from there.”
The Celtics held 1.5 sessions on day one during a week that’ll feature some double sessions, but on Wednesday they completed what they needed early. Mazzulla said they’re going back to the fundamentals and doesn’t project the Abu Dhabi trip impacting their process of installing new concepts. He and Walker IV have shared conversations already, with the newest Celtic a constant presence at the facility so far. They’ve also discussed off-floor topics, something Walker IV loves, bringing up boxing as one of his favorite sports. Mazzulla, an MMA fan, called boxing a pillow fight.
Mazzulla found him patient and asking many questions, saying Boston brought him in looking for talented players who can fit their system. Walker IV stayed on the floor for a while after practice on Wednesday draining corner threes and hitting many above the break too. Tyler Lashbrook, who will coach Maine in 2024-25, was present at practice alongside younger players likely to spend time there this year, including Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, Davison, Peterson and Watson. Ron Harper Jr., Tristan Enaruna and Dmytro Skapintsev, who are also signed to Exhibit 10 contracts.
“He understands the position that he’s in,” Mazzulla said. “He understands there’ll be plenty of opportunities to earn his position … he wants to understand and he is willing to do whatever is necessary to be the best for what we need him to be. As long as he has that, it’s not about these first three days, training camp is the whole preseason. So there’s plenty of opportunity there and the most important thing is how does he fit into the dynamics of what we’re trying to accomplish on both ends of the floor and can he execute the details?”
