One of the many perks of being a championship team is an enhanced ability to entice free agent players. Veterans will at least ponder budget-friendly deals for a chance to bask in the championship afterglow. To the victor goes the free-agent spoil.
The Celtics already hooked a couple of their own free agents on team-friendly minimum pacts (Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman) at the start of the summer, and Wednesday night the team added an intriguing training camp invite in Lonnie Walker IV.
The 25-year-old Walker, a veteran of six NBA seasons, is a former first-round pick of the San Antonio Spurs. How appropriate that the 18-time champions are adding the 18th pick from the 2018 NBA Draft.
Walker spent time with Derrick White in San Antonio, then had stops with the Lakers and Nets. Walker averaged 9.7 points over 17.4 minutes per game in 58 appearances (all off the bench) last season in Brooklyn. He shot 38.4 percent on all 3-pointers — including an eye-catching 45 percent on all corner 3s — giving hope that he might rekindle some of the long-range success he displayed early in his career.
Walker’s potential is undeniable. He’s only 6-foot-4 but oozes athleticism. He has a huge wingspan which allows him to guard bigger wings. His individual defensive metrics were excellent despite Brooklyn’s woes last season.
The bigger question here is whether Walker — or any other potential roster addition — can make a true case for the Celtics to carry a 15th player into the regular season.
The Celtics currently have 14 guaranteed contracts for the 2024-25 season, and three two-way players signed. Tax penalties make it cumbersome to carry a 15th player, at least if they don’t project to see steady minutes.
Still, Walker would add some depth to a somewhat depleted wing spot. The only two departures from last season’s title team were backup wings Oshae Brissett and Svi Mykhailiuk. The Celtics selected 6-foot-6 wing Baylor Scheierman with the 30th pick in this year’s draft.
Boston potentially could carry a non-guaranteed contract into the season and assess the desire to keep a 15th player past the January guarantee date. Some of that desire might hinge on in-season maneuvering.
In the trio of Scheierman, 2023 second-round pick Jordan Walsh, and Jaden Springer (a trade deadline acquisition last season), the Celtics have a small group of younger roster players who still must prove they deserve floor time.
Walker has shown he can be a serviceable NBA reserve. Boston’s depth chart is full at the guard spot with White, Jrue Holiday, and Payton Pritchard, but Brissett showed last season there’s room for a versatile wing.
The bottom line is that Boston is getting a no-risk chance to examine Walker’s fit with this team and can figure out the financials if he states a case to stick around. Back in February, we put Walker on our list of favorite trade targets given Brooklyn’s seller status, and now the Celtics have him on board without having to sacrifice any assets.
The key for Walker is 3 and D. He ranked in the 83rd percentile among all wings on corner 3s last season, per Cleaning the Glass data. He didn’t shoot a lot — only 62 corner attempts — but being able to knock down that look when you share the floor with Boston’s talented core is a quick way to earn time.
You’ll see a lot of eye-catching highlight reels of (Sky)Walker finishing loud dunks in traffic or throwing in circus shots, but his ability to morph into a consistent perimeter shooter, and really embrace being a plus defender, is his ticket to sticking in Boston — or with any other contender in the league.