Celtics Listed as Potential Suitors For Former First Round Draft Pick

Does the rolling Boston want to make this move?

Jan 17, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (00) drives to the basket during the first half against Brooklyn Nets guard Lonnie Walker IV (8) and forward Cameron Johnson (2) at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

At 23-18, the 2024-25 Boston Celtics are absolutely rolling in their title defense.

The reigning champs have brought back their top 11 players from last season, and accordingly have only seen their chemistry deepen. Boston doesn't really have a lot of weaknesses to speak of — with a record 50.7 triple tries attempted a game and elite defenders at all five positions, this is a uniquely modern squad built to win for a long time (or at least, as long as the Grousbeck family and Boston's next owners want to stomach an exorbitant tax bill to fund it).

Still, despite this wealth of roster riches, the Celtics are apparently still sniffing around the basketball world to build out their personnel depth on the fringes of their roster.

According to longtime NBA insider Marc Stein, journeyman shooting guard Lonnie Walker IV is being eyed by the Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat, and Denver Nuggets as a possible in-season addition.

Walker was actually on Boston's training camp roster via an Exhibit 10 training camp agreement, but didn't make the club's final roster cuts ahead of the start of the regular season. He ultimately opted to sign with Lithuanian EuroLeague team Zalgiris Kaunas. Walker reportedly could have joined Boston's G League affiliate squad, the Maine Celtics, as an affiliate player.

The 6-foot-4 wing has a $450,000 buyout option as part of his current agreement with Zalgiris Kaunas, that an NBA squad could pay to get him out of his deal by February 18.

Walker not being on an NBA roster this season is a bit of a shock. He has the talent to chip in, and the relative youth to be a long-term fit. The 26-year-old shooting guard has proven himself to be a solid contributor to good teams, as when he was a clutch playoff bucket-getter for the Lakers' 2023 run to the Western Conference Finals. Last year on the lowly Nets, Walker averaged a solid line of 9.7 points on .423/.384/.763 shooting splits, 2.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 0.6 steals in 58 games, across just 17.4 minutes per.

For Boston specifically, Walker's aptitude as a shooter and his handle could make him an intriguing ninth or tenth man. The Celtics don't exactly need him to compete this year, but he could certainly help them win a game or two in the postseason.

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