Celtics waive Lonnie Walker IV

The Celtics waived Lonnie Walker IV as we speak after he signed an Exhibit 10 contract this offseason. Walker can now go to the G-League and be a part of the Maine Celtics or signal with one other staff.

In 4 video games with the Celtics this preseason, Lonnie Walker averaged 7.3 factors, 2.5 assists, 1.5 rebounds, taking pictures 42.8% from the sphere and 31.2% from three-point vary.

When requested about Walker, Derrick White, who was a teammate with Walker in San Antonio, stated, “Nice man. Works arduous. You possibly can inform he has plenty of ardour. Thats my man clearly.”

Luke Kornet stated after apply, “I really like Lonnie. He’s an amazing participant. His power, pleasure, and fervour…I by no means received the chance to know him intently till these previous few weeks and he’s been nice to have round. A pleasure to play with and a pleasure to work with.”

Joe Mazzulla was additionally requested about Walker being waived. Mazzulla stated, “he got here in together with his head down and simply wished to work and to have an understanding of what it’s like enjoying our fashion of basketball.” He continued, “I believed he did job of executing that within the time that he had, I believed he did an amazing job being affected person, executing the position we would have liked him to.”

When requested about making roster choices with Brad Stevens, Mazzulla added, “we speak each day, we talk each day, not essentially collaborate on the choice, however collaborate on the alternatives and the issues which might be there on both aspect of the coin. On the finish of the day, he does an amazing job making choices, we belief our resolution, and we do talk each day about the place we predict issues are and we go from there.”

The writing was seemingly on the wall for Walker as he didn’t play within the Celtics closing preseason sport on Tuesday in opposition to the Raptors, however individuals have been holding out hope that he may nonetheless discover his manner on to the roster. Nevertheless, the Celtics determined to waive him, leaving the fifteenth roster spot open.

The Celtics basically save $11 million by waiving Walker as that’s how a lot Boston must pay in the event that they signed him to a veteran minimal contract. The Celtics at present have a tax multiplier of $3.75 for each $1 they spend over the wage cap. In the event that they signed Walker, the multiplier can be pushed to $4.25 for each $1 and a veteran minimal contract of about $2.1 million would have about an additional $8.8 million in taxes added to it.

Personally, I really feel just like the Celtics ought to have signed Walker. He’s a confirmed position participant within the NBA and has had success contributing to a playoff staff up to now. The Celtics may convey him up sooner or later in the course of the season if he decides to hitch the Maine Celtics, however it nonetheless would have been good to have him on the staff now. Boston is already spending 1 / 4 of a billion {dollars} on participant salaries this season so you’d assume it wouldn’t be an issue in the event that they added a bit of extra for Walker, however I suppose Celtics possession didn’t see it that manner.

Lonnie Walker is an excellent participant on this league and it might not shock me if he indicators with one other staff shortly after being waived by the Celtics. If he does be a part of Maine nevertheless, he can be becoming a member of a reasonably stacked staff and might be the face of among the best G League groups on paper.

Hopefully, we will see Lonnie Walker in Boston once more sooner or later this season climate as a member of the Celtics or for one more staff. Both manner, I hope he will get one other shot to indicate what he can do.