After signing him to a one-year contract, the Boston Celtics could waive Lonnie Walker IV after training camp. The Celtics signed Lonnie Walker IV on August 24th, but now, Shams Charania reports that he could be waived due to an exhibit 10 in his contract. It is odd for a team to consider this move nearly a week after signing a player, but exhibit 10 in his contract could give Walker a bonus if he is waived and sent down to the Celtics G-League affiliate.
Lonnie Walker IV’s Contract
On August 24th, Lonnie Walker IV was signed to a one-year deal. It was viewed as a good, low-risk contract, where the Celtics could add a proven role player off the bench to help them defend their title. In his previous season with the Brooklyn Nets, Walker averaged 9.7 points per game off the bench, shooting an efficient 38.4% from three. Before that, Walker spent a season in Los Angeles, for the Lakers. Walker was an integral piece in Los Angeles, as they made it to the Western Conference Finals. In their second-round series against the Golden State Warriors, Walker was especially key coming off the bench.
Because of these instances of contribution on multiple teams and systems, Walker’s signing with the Celtics seemed like a beneficial deal for both sides. Walker would be back on a playoff team and championship contender and the Celtics would add another contributor and three-point shooter to their roster. But, with exhibit 10 in his contract, Walker could spend time in the G-League, to only be pulled up if the Celtics need him.
How Would This Benefit the Boston Celtics?
The Celtics waiving Lonnie Walker IV after training camp would still technically keep him on the team. Exhibit 10 allows the Celtics to give Walker a bonus if they choose to waive him and send him down to their G-League affiliate, the Maine Celtics. This move would be done to free up space on the Celtics bench, for players like Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser to still get their playing time while Walker is in the G-League. However, if there was an injury, the Celtics would still be able to call up Walker to play on the active roster.
So, for Boston, enacting the E10 would be like an insurance policy. Walker would get a bonus and play in the G-League, while the Celtics can free up space on the bench so that players are not fighting over minutes. The Celtics have many guards on the roster, with Jrue Holiday and Derrick White starting, and Pritchard and Hauser off the bench. They also drafted a guard, Baylor Scheierman, back in April.
To put it simply, the Celtics have a lot of guards, and this move would stash Lonnie Walker IV down in the G-League in case of injury, rather than have too many players and not enough minutes. For Walker, the main would be the bonus. It would mean more money, despite being sent down to the G-League.
Final Thoughts
This move is not yet final. If Walker plays well in training camp and impresses, he may be too good to be sent down to the G-League. With Kristaps Porzingis expected to miss the start of the 2024-25 season, the Celtics may need a player like Walker on the roster. However, as said, the Celtics do have depth at the guard positions. The fact that this move is a possibility speaks to the depth and talent of the Celtics roster, where a proven bench scorer can be waived, and the team can still be in a good position. But nothing is final yet, and training camp performances may determine whether he is waived or not.
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