BOSTON — The Boston Celtics signed Lonnie Walker IV deep into free agency. Despite churning out a solid season with the Brooklyn Nets last year, Walker found himself without a team, and the Celtics scooped him up. But not on a normal contract. He inked an Exhibit 10 deal, meaning he’ll have to prove himself throughout training camp if he wants to earn Boston’s 15th and final roster spot.
Last year with the Nets, Walker appeared in 58 games, playing 17.4 minutes per contest. He averaged 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while shooting 42.3% from the floor and 38.4% from beyond the three-point line.
On Wednesday, Walker spoke with reporters for the first time since joining the Celtics, and he gave some insight into his first practice with the team.
Lonnie Walker is very excited to be with the Celtics
Right away, he could tell why the Celtics are champions.
“It was a clear viewpoint as to why you guys are the 2024 World Champions,” Walker said of his first practice. “The competitiveness, the effort, the intensity. This is one of my favorite training camps I've been to. So, I'm really happy to be here and just be around such great talent.”
Walker has even gotten to enjoy his first Joe Mazzulla experience.
"Joe is one of the most interesting guys I've met," Walker said. "You don't know where your conversation might take you. He kind of reminds me of my head coach back in high school. Like I said yesterday, one of our first conversations— I love boxing, so I was like, 'Did you see the Canelo fight?' He was like, 'I don't watch pillow fights. I was like, 'Okay. Alright. There we are. That makes more complete sense.'
"So, he's a great guy in a plethora of different aspects. And I'm just fortunate to be given this time, as of right now, to really soak everything up and continue to learn and be a sponge and continue to grow as a player. "
Since getting drafted in 2018, Walker has only made the playoffs twice—with the San Antonio Spurs in 2019 and with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023. Boston has made the postseason every year for the last decade.
Going from the lottery-bound Nets to the Celtics will be quite the culture shift for Walker, but he didn’t have much of a choice.
He chose Boston because there weren’t many other options available to him. That’s when the Celtics swooped in and gave him a chance.
“Obviously, my free agency hasn't gone as planned and whatnot,” Walker said. “So, Brad Stevens, he's given me an opportunity with the E10 to kind of prove myself and show my capabilities offensively, defensively, off the court, being a great teammate. So, I'm just really excited and grateful to be here, and I'm just going to work to the best of my capabilities.”
Reports from earlier in the summer indicated the Celtics’ desire to keep their 15th roster spot open as a means to maintain roster flexibility. However, that idea was likely formed with the assumption that players like Walker wouldn’t be available for a minimum contract.
Walker is a top-notch scorer, and he’s shown some serious progress from behind the arc in recent years. But if he wants to stick in Boston, he’ll have to prove his worth in every aspect of the game.