by Enough has been said about how Lonnie Walker signing with the Celtics doesn’t seem fair at all considering what he brings to them and where they stand in the NBA. In fact, he’s in training camp with them, which seems absurd considering what kind of player he is.
The bottom line is that Walker has proven enough that he doesn’t have to work from the bottom up to be on the Celtics or any NBA roster for that matter, but that’s just a harsh reality of where the game stands now thanks to the current situation . KBA among others.
But knowing that he specifically signed with the Celtics actually makes it worse, beyond the fact that they are the reigning NBA champions.
Think back to this time last season. The Celtics added a plethora of backup wings to their roster via free agency, such as Oshae Brissett, Svi Mykhailiuk, Lamar Stevens and Dalano Banton.
Banton, Mykhailiuk and Stevens’ contracts with the Celtics were only partially guaranteed, yet they, along with Brissett, played well enough to all make the team. The Celtics even gave all four of them fair chances to break into the rotation.
None of these four hurt the Celtics when they received playing time, but they never proved they were good enough to get consistent minutes. They were nice depth pieces to have when the Celtics were undermanned, but that was the best they could offer. They fit well with the ‘Stay Ready’ group.
Now compare them to Walker. While his defense leaves a lot to be desired, Walker has shown he can do more than any of these four. He has proven that he is difficult to stop when he gets the ball moving, and he even showed that against the Celtics, which has likely played a role in why the Celtics have wanted him since the 2024 trade deadline.
He has even shown this on a bigger stage. He was a playoff hero for the Lakers in 2023, and if he’s a playoff hero just once, that’s a professional basketball player for life.
But apparently that wasn’t the case. Now Walker is fighting for his NBA life, and knowing that contract he is under, it’s entirely possible he starts the season in the G-League. Walker has made it sound like he’s aware of that and is ready to take on that challenge, but there’s no arguing that he doesn’t deserve it.
If that doesn’t sound good, just remember that Stevens just signed a training camp deal in Detroit, even later than Walker did, that Brissett is still a free agent, that Banton broke out a bit in Portland even though his numbers may be empty calories, and Mykhailiuk signed a four-year contract in Utah, with three years non-guaranteed.
That’s not to put down those four guys, because they all proved they should be in the NBA. It’s just that Walker’s skills could theoretically make the Celtics even harder to beat.
Now, Walker could play perfect preseason basketball for the Celtics and that might not matter because Boston will likely keep their 15th roster spot open, meaning he might not end up on the final roster. That doesn’t mean Walker won’t stay.
In fact, it shouldn’t be ruled out that he could be part of the rotation at some point in the future if he performs as well as the Celtics hope. Even when he’s in training camp, almost no one believes he’s on the same plateau as Ron Harper Jr. or Tristan Enaruna.
The point is, it’s unfair that Walker will have a bigger mountain to climb than the smaller wings that came before him last season. Not only is Walker better than them, but he also gives the Celtics a pure scorer in their second unit, which could make them better than last season at full strength.
Again, it’s not with the Celtics, Walker or any of those four ex-Celtic wings that the situation has become this way. It’s really just further proof of how much change there is in a year, and how those changes hurt players who don’t deserve it.
On paper, Walker could be more than just another “Stay Ready” player for the Celtics. It’s just a shame how many hoops he has to jump through before he can prove it.
