Derrick White has known Lonnie Walker IV for years. He was on the San Antonio Spurs when Walker got drafted there in 2018, and they’ve been friends ever since. So, when the Celtics signed Walker toward the end of free agency this summer, the pair was excited to work together again.
Unfortunately, the partnership was short-lived. The Celtics waived Walker just a few days before the start of the season, as it was the deadline to cut any Exhibit 10 players remaining on the roster without taking a per-day penalty. Now, Walker will likely spend some time in Maine in the G League unless he gets a contract elsewhere.
The Celtics just didn’t want to commit their 15th roster spot.
Derrick White discusses Lonnie Walker after getting cut by Celtics
After practice on Saturday, White shared his thoughts on Walker and the situation.
“Great guy. Works hard,” White said. “You could tell that he’s got a lot of passion about the game. And that’s my guy, obviously.”
However, White hasn’t talked to Walker yet, joking that he talks to him too much as it is.
“I talk to him too much, I think. I try to give him his space,” White said. “We’ve been close since he got drafted in San Antonio. That’s my guy. So, I’m sure I’ll talk to him.”
Walker flashed some impressive skills in the preseason. He had a seven-assist game against the Philadelphia 76ers and a 20-point outing against the Philadelphia 76ers. But the decision to let him go likely had nothing to do with his play.
Since the Celtics already have one of the most expensive payrolls in NBA history, any signing they make comes with a hefty tax hit.
If they had chosen to sign Walker to a minimum contract at the end of the roster, the net total cost would have been around $11 million. For a team that’s already loaded at the top of the roster, that price just wasn’t worth it.
On top of that, Walker probably wasn’t going to be a part of the Celtics’ rotation. He wasn’t going to get minutes over Payton Pritchard or Sam Hauser, and with how much potential Jordan Walsh showed in the preseason, they probably want to give him some extra run, too.
Add in Boston’s big-man rotation, and that would have made Walker the 12th or 13th man in the rotation at best.
Paying $11 million for a guy like that doesn’t make a ton of sense.
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