Contract details for Celtics' unique signing of Lonnie Walker, and what it means

Lonnie Walker signed a unique contract with the Boston Celtics on August 28 that could keep him under the organization's umbrella for a good portion, or the entirety, of the 2024-25 season. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN was the first to report the signing.

But there's also a chance he could be gone (or with the Maine Celtics) by the start of the season.

What is an Exhibit 10 contract and what does it mean for Lonnie Walker?

As The Athletic's Shams Charania reported, Walker is signing an Exhibit 10 contract, which will allow him to get paid a bonus if he is waived after training camp and plays with Boston's G League affiliate in Portland. However, it also means the deal is non-guaranteed.

However, this gives Walker IV serious incentive to sign with Maine should no other NBA teams inquire about his services.

The Celtics just signed Lonnie Walker IV to an Exhibit 10 contract, and he should play during the preseason

It would behoove Joe Mazzulla and the Maine staff to get Walker as many training camp reps as possible, even giving him minutes during the preseason. It's not like Boston needs to figure out much about their rotation anyway, with pretty much their entire Banner 18 roster returning in 2024-25.

Walker brings another underrated aspect to the preseason, too: He will give the Celtics' perimeter players a breather after a deep playoff run and, for Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, and Jrue Holiday, a run with Team USA that led to a gold medal in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France.

Again, there's nothing the Celtics need to do besides get their sea legs underneath them as they prepare for a title defense. Banner 19 likely won't have any significant seeds planted until after the All-Star break.

Mazzulla just needs his guys to stay healthy. Walker gives the Celtics a guy who can carry the bulk of the offense during the exhibition slate to avoid any needless injuries.

The best part? For Walker, the preseason won't be needless.

He will be playing for his NBA future. It's possible he plays so well that another team scoops him up in free agency before the season. If that's the case, Boston will have witnessed a success story before the season even starts.