Celtics might waive Lonnie Walker IV for reason outside of his control

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, there is a chance the Boston Celtics will waive Lonnie Walker IV after training camp in favor of leaving their 15th and final roster spot open heading into the season, thus maintaining extra flexibility.

Shams Charania: Celtics might waive Lonnie Walker IV after training camp

Boston recently signed Walker to an Exhibit 10 contract. He was one of the best players left in free agency, as he played a significant role on the Brooklyn Nets last season. However, the Celtics could look in a different direction.

“The Celtics are adding Lonnie Walker IV to their roster, league sources tell me,” Charania wrote. “Those sources say the 25-year-old guard will be brought in on an Exhibit 10 contract, which allows Boston to give Walker a bonus if he is waived after training camp and plays for the team’s G League affiliate in Maine. I’m told there’s a chance Walker is waived after camp to keep Boston’s 15th roster spot open going into the season.”

Last season in Brooklyn, Walker appeared in 58 games, playing 17.8 minutes per contest. He averaged 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while shooting 42.3% from the field and 38.4% from behind the three-point line.

From a stats perspective, Walker had a solid season last year. Keeping him around would give the Celtics a nice extra depth piece to work with. However, the flexibility could be more valuable for them.

Not only would adding Walker cost the Celtics a ton of extra money because of their current tax bill, but it would also prevent them from making any roster moves during the season without getting rid of a player.

That means if they wanted to trade picks for a player, elevate a guy from a two-way contract, or shuffle things around in any way, they wouldn’t be able to without some extra finagling.

Barring an unbelievable stint in training camp and during the preseason, it seems relatively unlikely that the Celtics keep Walker around, if for no other reason than to maintain flexibility and keep their tax bill as low as possible.

Keeping the 15th roster spot open could be the most likely option for Boston.