On the one hand, it's super exciting that the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics added Lonnie Walker, a potentially useful bench asset, for almost nothing. On the other hand, it is telling that they signed him for as little as possible, knowing the full details of his new contract.
Walker is not a nobody, and it's far from farfetched to suggest that he could be more than a bench body if all goes well in Boston. But a training camp deal signifies that he'll have to prove himself from Day 1. Luckily, it appears as though he's aware of that.
Heads up, Boston fans, spoke with Lonnie Walker IV's camp, was told he is "ready to earn his keep" w/ Celtics #cusrise #DifferentHere #nba #Boston
— JeffGSpursKENS5 (@JeffGSpursZone) August 29, 2024
Walker isn't going to drastically alter the Celtics' title chances, as it's hard to do that when they're already the reigning champs who have run back most of the roster. However, the potential is definitely there for him to be more than a training camp body.
That's why it's worth looking into his potential ceiling and floor with the Celtics.
Lonnie Walker's floor with the Celtics
Given his resume, it seems that, even with a training camp deal, Walker is a shoo-in to make the final roster. However, MassLive's Brian Robb didn't sound too optimistic. He believes Walker's chances of making the team sit around 30%.
And that's exactly what his floor is—another training camp body who doesn't make the final team. As shocking as it is that he got such a small-time deal and ended up in Boston, of all places, it all shows Walker's value right now in the NBA.
In Boston's case, it may not have much to do with what he can do on the court but rather whether or not he's worth the additional luxury taxes that would come with converting him to a standard deal.
Boston is paying so much for their roster that converting Walker to a standard contract would cost them $10 million in additional taxes, even if he'd only count for $2.1 million on their cap sheet.
This all points to the notion that Walker may be out of the job if he is anything but downright amazing from start to finish in training camp and in the preseason. However, watching a guy like Walker fight for his NBA life, even if he's doing it in games that don't count for anything, makes preseason all the more fun.
Lonnie Walker's ceiling with the Celtics
Even if Walker's chances of making the Celtics may not be too high at the moment, there's a reason why there was so much excitement surrounding his addition.
He was widely considered among the best players left in free agency and has shown that he can show up when his team needs him to. Everyone remembers when he helped the Los Angeles Lakers end all hope for the Golden State Warriors in 2023.
Walker is cut from a similar cloth as Jordan Clarkson: A bench sparkplug. That said, Walker isn't nearly as consistent or as potent as the former Sixth Man of the Year. The Celtics' bench actually didn't get enough credit for how good they were during their title run, but on paper, Walker gives them a shot-creator they did not have.
If he blossoms in Boston, he can actually be as high as the eighth man in their rotation. Don't expect him to take minutes away from the likes of Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser in the regular season, but if all goes right, Joe Mazzulla may depend on Walker for actual playoff minutes down the stretch.
What Lonnie Walker's floor and ceiling mean for Celtics
The one conclusion from all this is that Walker truly is a boom-or-bust prospect with the Celtics. Knowing the tax implications of keeping him, he'd only make the Celtics roster if they planned to play him consistently.
To get that role, he'll have to be more than just part of the "Stay Ready" group the Celtics have prided themselves on for the last few years. He'll have to prove he's on the same level as Pritchard and Hauser. Again, that's a possibility but far from a certainty.
Plus, it's not like the Celtics need a bench scorer like Walker. It was fine the way it was before they signed him with training camp only weeks away. Cutting him won't detract from the Celtics' strong odds of repeating as favorites.
It's just exciting to think that Walker could add even more sweetener to a team that already had all of its bases covered before he even signed on the dotted line.