ESSAY: Lonnie Walker IV leaves Brooklyn for Boston, still seeking a ‘Forever Home’
Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images
Collin Hedwig takes a fan’s look at Lonnie Walker IV’s departure from Brooklyn. With his high-altitude dunks followed by benchings that brought you back down to earth, the Lonnie Walker IV experience had no shortage of ups and downs. What it won’t be doing is moving laterally in Brooklyn, however, as the shooting guard signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Boston Celtics
E10 deals are more or less training camp contracts with the money minimum and non-guaranteed. If the Celtics waive Walker IV after training camp and he plays at least 60 games for their G League affiliate in Maine, he can earn a bonus of up to $75,000. Killian Hayes is currently on the same type of contract for the Nets.
Contract details for Lonnie Walker IV with the Celtics, sources said: Exhibit 10. An E10 allows Celtics to give a bonus to Walker if he is waived after training camp and plays for the team's G League affiliate in Maine.— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 29, 2024
(As noted, the same would apply to Hayes if he was cut and joined the Long Island Nets.)
Walker IV averaged 9.7 points, 1.3 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game while posting 42/38/76 shooting splits in Brooklyn last year. That 3-point percentage represents his highest mark for a season since his sophomore year in 2019-20, though he averaged 0.7 triples per game that year compared to a career-high 1.8 this year.
Walker IV also drew appreciation in Brooklyn for his ability to create his own shot in an otherwise dull Nets offense. That only carried so much weight with the coaching staff, however, as Walker IV sat largely down the stretch of the 2023-24 season. Kevin Ollie cited Walker IV’s defense, rebounding, and simply “making the right plays,” as the reasoning behind that.
Kevin Ollie on Lonnie Walker's decrease in minutes of late (DNP-CD at Washington):“I keep telling him it’s not all just about scoring, it’s about doing all the other little things: playing defense, rebounding, making the right plays... Doing the other things to make an impact." pic.twitter.com/3sWIi33yMR— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) March 29, 2024
A league insider not with the Nets had similar thoughts about Walker, citing his undisciplined offense. There’s something else as well. Other than Bojan Bogdanovic and Shake Milton, 35 and 28 respectively, all the players the Nets have signed or traded for this summer have been under the age of 23: Hayes, Keon Johnson and Ziaire Williams were all 22; Trendon Watford 23. The rebuild isn’t only about draft picks and cap space.
Nonetheless, Walker IV was an exciting player to have on the floor despite his deficiencies outside of “getting a bucket” — making him one of the many BallDon’tStop darlings yet outcast in the eyes of analytics gurus.
Walker IV’s official departure this offseason should come as no shock now in August. When free agency opened up, he dropped a not-so-cryptic tweet illustrating Brooklyn’s disinterest in bringing him back. Walker IV later confirmed it in a nice farewell message to Nets fans.
Nets Kingdom Exclusive Lonnie Walker’s special message to Brooklyn Nets fans. Wishing Lonnie the best in Boston! pic.twitter.com/XRgfARW2DM— NetsKingdom (@NetsKingdomAJ) August 29, 2024
But Walker IV will likely be remembered in Brooklyn for the beginning of his tenure rather than the end. In November, Walker IV attracted early Sixth Man of the Year attention, averaging 14.4 points per game on a scolding hot 45.1 percent from three on 5.5 attempts per game.
He also dazzled overseas in Brooklyn’s Paris game, finishing with 20 points off the bench while going 4-5 from deep. He and his family seemed to really soak up the big trip, even taking home some NetsDaily memorabilia.
my Lonnie Walker IV story is that in Paris, I was talking to a stranger outside the Nets’ pop-up pizza shop. Ended up being Lonnie Walker III. He wanted me to sign his pizza box in sharpie. I said nah, I’m not sure you need MY signature.He said “no, I want EVERYONE who I talk…— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) August 29, 2024
Injuries pulled Walker IV off that 6MOTY pace and when he returned in the mid-winter, he spoke candidly about just wanting to find a “forever home” in the NBA rather than winning awards.
Lonnie Walker: “I’m on a minimum, so I carry that weight on my shoulders as far as finding a home, playing the right way, and continuing to get better.”“Right now I’m locked in trying to find that forever home.” pic.twitter.com/ABRocsQ7wY— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) January 30, 2024
That hunt will continue in Boston.
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