After becoming a member of the Boston Celtics on an Exhibit 10 training camp invite, Lonnie Walker IV knew he confronted an uphill battle to make the staff’s opening evening roster. Largely for causes past his personal management.
Regardless of an intriguing camp during which he reaffirmed to the Celtics and the remainder of the league that he can nonetheless be an NBA contributor, Walker was waived Saturday because the Celtics elected to hold simply 14 gamers on their roster into opening evening of the 2024-25 season.
Celtics gamers and coaches raved about Walker’s positive energy and his relentless work ethic. That culminated Friday evening when, after the staff gathered for its annual Shamrock Gala in Everett, Walker relocated to the Auerbach Heart fitness center for a midnight exercise throughout his remaining hours with the staff.
Finally, the luxurious tax conspired towards Walker. The Celtics are already set to pay a hefty tax invoice. Carrying Walker on a $2 million minimal wage contract nonetheless might have value the staff over $10 million if the staff didn’t in any other case trim wage earlier than season’s finish.
Walker began sluggish throughout Boston’s first two preseason video games in Abu Dhabi however shined when the Celtics relocated stateside. He did nearly all he might to power the Celtics to assume exhausting about carrying a fifteenth participant.
The staff merely prioritized flexibility and cash administration. That Walker compelled the staff to ponder exhausting about carrying him tells simply how a lot of an impression he made along with his strategy and play.
Walker may have the choice to hitch the Maine Celtics as an affiliated participant. Not like Boston’s three two-way gamers — rookie Anton Watson, JD Davison, and Drew Peterson — the Celtics wouldn’t be capable of name up Walker with out first signing him to the father or mother roster. In-season shuffling to Boston’s roster might open an avenue to bringing Walker again down the highway.
The choice to chop Walker offers somebody like Jaden Springer an opportunity to show the staff made the suitable funding in spending a second-round decide to accumulate him final season. However Springer should proceed to develop to justify the $4 million wage that likewise amplifies with tax penalties.
The Celtics might have carried Walker into the common season because the fifteenth participant with out speedy penalty. However it could have restricted choices so as to add gamers and might need created challenges if the staff desired to chop prices earlier than the commerce deadline.
Walker should get consideration from NBA groups navigating preseason accidents. A few of Boston’s rivals could possibly be intrigued by what they noticed in Walker’s preseason play with the Celtics.
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