The Boston Celtics shocked the NBA landscape when they signed Lonnie Walker IV toward the end of free agency this summer. Obviously, it was nothing more than a fringe move, but for a roster that looked almost identical to the title team from 2024, any semblance of change was enough to pique the interest of the fanbase.
And since Walker was such a well-established player, the rest of the NBA world took notice, too. However, while Walker was a solid player for the Brooklyn Nets last season, he didn’t end up making Boston’s final roster. Instead, he signed with Zalgiris Kaunas of the EuroLeague.
But there is still a world where he returns to the shores of Boston at some point this season.
Lonnie Walker has NBA buyout clause in new contract
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, Walker’s deal with the Lithuanian ball club includes an NBA buyout clause, which would allow a team to pay a fee to bring him on board despite his contract with Zalgiris Kaunas.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype followed up the report by revealing that the buyout cost is $450,000, which isn’t a wildly unreasonable price to pay.
The main reason the Celtics let Walker walk was presumably to avoid putting any extra salary on their books, so having to pay a buyout clause may not be ideal for them. That said, by the time they would want to re-sign Walker, they would likely only have to pay a prorated rate of his salary, anyway.
During a Bleacher Report live stream a couple of weeks ago, Jake Fischer revealed that the Celtics still have a level of interest in Walker. He said that he wouldn’t be surprised to see Walker on Boston’s roster at some point by season’s end.
He even stated that the Celtics had attempted to find a trade destination for Jaden Springer in hopes of clearing a roster spot for Walker and saving some money in the process.
Walker played well for the Celtics in the preseason. Though he wasn’t amazing in Abu Dhabi, he looked good during their two home games, showing off some playmaking and scoring.
Boston seemed pleased with the way Walker conducted himself during his time with the team. He was even with the squad longer than the rest of the Exhibit 10 guys, giving him some extra time to work at the Auerbach Center.
So, while he’ll be with Zalgiris Kaunas for the time being, the Celtics could still be keeping an eye on him.