What Did Lonnie Walker IV Say About His Contract Status With Boston Celtics? Find Out
Lonnie Walker IV was signed by Boston Celtics recently but the former Nets star has his own say regarding the contract.
This offseason, the Boston Celtics did not make many changes. The defending champion Celtics did, however, make the low-risk, high-reward decision to sign free agent Lonnie Walker IV. Walker discussed his position on the team in an interview with NBC Sports Boston on Monday during the Celtics' media availability.
“I'm still on an E10. I'm not on a guaranteed contract yet, so right now I'm really just trying to earn that guaranteed contract and play to the best of my ability.”
Walker is entirely accurate. Walker inked a one-year, fully non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract this offseason. It will be up to him to establish his worth for a guaranteed contract and a spot on the Celtics' 15-man roster during training camp and the preseason.
Of the 15 spots on the Celtics roster, 14 are occupied. Walker will therefore probably face competition for the final spot from Ron Harper Jr., Tristan Enaruna, and Dmytro Skapintsev, who have all signed E-10 contracts. Walker should be viewed as the early favorite to make the roster because he has the most NBA experience out of that group.
Walker seems to be aware of his situation and is treating the preseason seriously despite this, based on his remarks. Minutes will be hard to come by even if he makes the roster. Walker appears to be up for the task.
Walker signed an offseason contract with the Celtics after playing for the Brooklyn Nets the previous season. The 6-4, 25-year-old guard averaged 17.4 minutes per game through 58 games, scoring 9.7 points and shooting 38.4% from three.
Walker played the first four seasons of his career in San Antonio after being selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the 18th overall pick in the 2018 draft out of Miami. He also spent a year with the Los Angeles Lakers. In the 2021–2022 campaign, Walker was the Spurs' sixth man and scored a career-high 12.1 points per game.
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