BOSTON — Lonnie Walker IV’s longtime friend and former high school teammate Justin Kellman sees a different person wearing No. 12 at Celtics training camp.
“This is the most I’ve seen him locked in,” Kellman said. “He’s changing everything about him. His diet is changing. The way he thinks is changing. His daily routine changed … I don’t wanna say rock bottom, but probably hitting the stage where he’s at now, hitting this (Exhibit) 10. I think this definitely lit a fire under him that I don’t wanna say he needed, but it was (good) timing, let’s say that. I think this situation opened his eyes a little bit more and like I said, he’s going crazy on a daily basis.”
Brad Stevens told Walker IV when they met one month ago that he would need to earn his spot on the roster, and that due to salary cap reasons, he could start the season in Maine. The Celtics would absorb a roughly $10 million luxury tax hit if they sign Walker IV for the full season. Walker IV, who didn’t receive guaranteed offers in free agency, he told CLNS Media on Friday, understood and is willing to do so if necessary.
Still, Kellman and others around Walker IV expect him to make the team should he maintain the habits that impressed them to begin camp. He’s often the last player to leave Auerbach Center and showed up to shoot again at night following daytime workouts in the weeks leading up to media day. Walker IV doesn’t know why his stock fell following a strong season with Brooklyn, but isn’t caught up in trying to figure it out.
“I’ve been looking for a home since I left San Antonio,” he said. “I’ve been doing a whole bunch of one-year deals. One year with LA, one year with the Nets. Now, I’m on the E10. So, just finding a organization that really wants me to be a part of the team and continuously grow and be a part of the community and the fan base as well … to finally find a team that I’m with for a long term deal, whatever it might be, and just be embraced. I think since I’ve been in the league, I’ve always dealt with a lot of inconsistent minutes, based off of probably injuries or whatever it might have been, that’s out of my control, and for once, I maybe just want some consistency in that area of just understanding my role and my place within the team.”
The Celtics’ successful recent track record, along with the presence of Derrick White, who Walker IV played with for four seasons on the Spurs, and Jrue Holiday, who Walker IV befriended and worked out with in LA, appealed to him despite the precarious contract situation. The opportunity to play off the pressure Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum absorb from defenses also made sense.
Walker IV once entered the NBA Draft with lottery selection potential, Doc Rivers telling his college coach Jim Larrañaga that the Clippers liked him in that range, then poor medical evaluations led the Nuggets, Hornets and LA to pass on him before San Antonio selected him at No. 18. There, like White did the year before, Walker IV spent most of his rookie season with the G-League Austin Spurs.
Walker IV tore his meniscus during his first college practice and missed the start of that season, then underwent another surgery on that knee with the Spurs before continuing to deal with various ailments through stops with LA and Brooklyn. He appeared in 70 games in 2021-22, but otherwise has failed to exceed 61 through six seasons. Still, his stock falling to Exhibit 10 status surprised Larrañaga.
“He’s too good a player to be having to try out after six seasons in the NBA,” he said. “He’s a very good NBA player and teammate. I think it’s unfortunate that he didn’t sign with a with a team and get an extension to a good contract because he’s a very valuable guy. He’s a great teammate. He shoots the ball very well. He’s averaged like 10 points a game for his career, so I think it was unfortunate that someone didn’t sign him to a full contract, but I really appreciate that the Celtics have at least given him an Exhibit 10 and given him an opportunity to try to make the team, because he’s certainly very capable … with his size and at his position and his shooting ability. I think he’s a high quality NBA guard.”
With the Celtics, Walker IV hopes to contribute in a complementary role. He’s a strong corner three shooter and has hit them in droves at shooting sessions following practice this week. He also mentioned cutting, bench scoring and shooting, rebounding and even movement in transition, with a focus on the little things, as ways he can contribute. Walker IV also stressed that he’s only 25, and turns 26 in December.
He’s had a difficult journey, starting from facing abuse at a young age, and basketball became his escape growing up in Reading, Pennsylvania. Along the way, he learned basketball success is 90% mental and has utilized sports psychologist to mold a stronger mindset. It’s one the Celtics will continue to assess, along with the team’s needs and Walker IV’s fit within their culture, through their trip to Abu Dhabi and the rest of the preseason. Sending him to Maine would be risky, since any team could sign him at any time, but others have succeeded at tailoring their game to the Celtics’ system then going on to win in Boston.
“I feel like I’ve been playing this game since I came out the womb,” Walker IV said. “The hardest part of the game is yourself, challenging yourself, competing with yourself, wanting to be better, continuously growing and never getting bored within the routines. And how do you continuously fight back when you feel like you have no more fight left?”
