Featured Columnist IVAugust 29, 2024
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The reigning champions reportedly added some depth to their roster Wednesday.
In keeping with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Boston Celtics agreed to a one-year cope with guard Lonnie Walker IV, who has performed for the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets throughout his profession.
Shams Charania of The Athletic added the contract particulars:
Shams Charania @ShamsCharania
Contract particulars for Lonnie Walker IV with the Celtics, sources mentioned: Exhibit 10. An E10 permits Celtics to present a bonus to Walker if he’s waived after coaching camp and performs for the crew’s G League affiliate in Maine.
The 25-year-old entered the NBA as a first-round draft choose of the Spurs in 2018, though he performed simply 17 video games as a rookie and by no means totally lived as much as expectations given his draft positioning.
He averaged 9.4 factors, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per sport throughout 4 seasons with the crew that drafted him.
Walker then performed one season for the Lakers and averaged 11.7 factors in the course of the common season earlier than a surprising efficiency within the playoffs.
Los Angeles confronted the Golden State Warriors within the second spherical of the 2023 playoffs and went into Sport 4 hoping to grab a commanding 3-1 sequence lead.
Simply when it regarded just like the Warriors would even the sequence, Walker poured in 15 factors within the fourth quarter and drilled a go-ahead leap shot and two key free throws within the closing minutes.
It was one of many highlights of his profession, though he pale into the obscurity of being a secondary contributor once more final season for the Nets whereas averaging 9.7 factors an evening.
At his greatest, Walker is somebody who can present a scoring spark with the secondary unit. He’s a profession 35.6 p.c shooter from three-point vary and might make the most of the spacing created by taking part in alongside stars.
Thankfully for Boston, it has loads of these.
Search for Walker to carve a task out for himself as a shooter who can capitalize when defenses collapse on Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porziņģis, Jrue Vacation and Derrick White. If he can try this, he may also help lead the Celtics on one other deep playoff run as they eye one other title.
Maybe he’ll even combine in some memorable postseason performances like his Sport 4 with the Lakers.
