Celtics signing Lonnie Walker is second audition for Jrue Holiday successor

Resting on laurels is grounds for condemnation in the NBA. Oftentimes, winning a championship comes at the cost of the future, and once a team achieves that goal, money stops being pumped in. The Boston Celtics aren’t taking that same approach.

Not only did the Celtics dole out the cash to retain nearly their entire roster from the 2023-24 title team, but they’ve also begun prepping for the future.

Al Horford is already 39 years old, so the Celtics have brought in some guys who could replace him. Xavier Tillman and Anton Watson are both switchable bigs who can shoot the three-ball. But Horford isn’t the only older veteran on the roster.

Lonnie Walker IV is latest Jrue Holiday replacement audition for Celtics

Jrue Holiday is 34. He just signed a four-year extension, but he can’t play forever. And because of that, Boston has started implementing potential replacement measures for him as well.

They added Jaden Springer at the deadline. He’s already an NBA-level defender, and his Summer League performance gave some hope that he can improve his offensive game in the coming years, too.

But Boston signing Lonnie Walker IV to an Exhibit 10 deal is their second audition to be the next Holiday. (Or at least the next guy who can play a similar role down the line.)

In some ways, Walker is the opposite of Springer. His offensive game is legit. Walker was a serious contributor for the Brooklyn Nets last year. His three-point shooting proved to be impressive, and he’s an elite athlete, too.

Defensively, Walker has room for improvement. If the Celtics can help him bulk up and enhance his overall positioning, there’s a world where he could be a very useful defender. He has all the physical tools. Boston just has to help him put the pieces together.

Walker will be on a non-guaranteed training-camp contract, so there’s a chance he’s not even with Boston to begin the year. But at 6-foot-4 and with his skill set, it’s clear that he could be another audition for the Holiday role way down the line.

Springer should probably maintain his spot as first in line, but Walker is a much better scorer right now, which could be useful in spots for the Celtics.