Joe Mazzulla Shares His Evaluation of Celtics Free Agent Signing

Bobby Krivitsky | Sep 14, 2024

Apr 1, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Lonnie Walker IV (8) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Kendall Brown (10) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Celtics are returning 15 of the 17 players from last season's title team. That includes those who remain on two-way contracts. Their continuity is a meaningful advantage in the quest to be the first team since the 2017-18 Warriors to repeat as NBA champions.

However, along with draft picks Baylor Scheierman and Anton Watson, the latter of whom is on a two-way pact, Boston's external additions include an intriguing free agent signing.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Lonnie Walker IV, who is already putting in work at the Auerbach Center, joined the Celtics on an Exhibit 10 deal. The explosive scoring guard averaged 9.7 points and knocked down 38.4 percent of the 4.7 threes he hoisted in 17.4 minutes of playing time across 58 games with the Nets last season.

The former first-round pick of the Spurs, who selected Walker 18th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, was at his best vs. Boston in the 2023-24 campaign. The six-year veteran shot 57.1 percent from the field and 53.8 percent from beyond the arc, converting on 7/13 three-point attempts.

He also had the top defensive rating of anyone on the Nets who logged at least 10.5 minutes in Brooklyn's matchups against the Celtics last season.

As training camp nears and Walker readies to make his case for why the reigning champions should convert his deal into a standard contract, filling their final roster spot, head coach Joe Mazzulla shared his evaluation of the former Miami Hurricanes star and what the organization wants to see from the players they bring on board.

"He's been around the league for a long time. He's played in a lot of games. So, he's got experience," Mazzulla told NBA.com's Steve Aschburner. "He (has) the ability to score, and he can impact the game on the defensive end. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter who you are — we just want guys to come in and work hard (and) pay attention to the details. Be your best self and fill the best role you can for the team."

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