When the Celtics signed veteran guard Lonnie Walker to an Exhibit 10 deal last August, Walker made it clear that he was joining the team to fight for the final roster spot, not to be assigned to the G League if he was released.
But the Celtics ultimately chose to waive Walker and keep the roster spot open, both to preserve flexibility and significantly lower their luxury tax bill. Walker signed with a professional team in Lithuania, but after playing 33 games there he earned his next NBA chance when he signed with the 76ers last month.
“He’s been in the league a bit,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said Thursday, before his team faced the Celtics at TD Garden. “He’s had some good scoring nights in the league as well, really explosive athlete. He has a track record. We needed an athletic wing who could shoot from the perimeter, so we thought we’d give him a shot.”
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Entering Thursday, Walker had appeared in six games with the 76ers, averaging 4.8 points and 2.5 rebounds while shooting just 28.6 percent from the field.
“From what we’ve seen, we really like him,” Nurse said. “He hasn’t played great, by the numbers or his own admission. But I kind of see him coming out of that a little bit. I think he’ll find his feet here a little bit and have some good games.”
The Celtics and 76ers were both extremely shorthanded for Thursday’s game. Boston was without Kristaps Porzingis (illness), Jaylen Brown (rest), Jrue Holiday (finger), Sam Hauser (ankle), and Al Horford (rest). Porzingis has missed four consecutive games due to illness.
“He’s coming into the facility every day, tried to get shots up and sweat it out,” Mazzulla said. “But he’s just not feeling well. But he’s working to get back.”
Hauser tweaked his ankle in the final minutes of Boston’s win over the Trail Blazers on Wednesday.
The 76ers were without Paul George (groin), Joel Embiid (knee), Tyese Maxey (back), Kyle Lowry (hip), and Eric Gordon (wrist). The 76ers will keep their first-round draft pick if it lands in the top six, but it will go to the Thunder if it falls seventh or lower.
Ex-Celtic Yabusele getting a chance to impress in NBA return
The 76ers’ injuries and absences have created substantial opportunities for former Celtics forward Guerschon Yabusele. Yabusele, who was selected 16th overall by the Celtics in 2016, had been playing overseas since the end of the 2018-19 season. He signed with the 76ers last summer following a strong performance for France in the Paris Olympics.
“He’s played very well all year,” Nurse said. “He plays very hard. He’s like a coach’s dream, a true pro, plays hard every night. He’s out there every night, has played almost all the games. Great, great spirit, all that kind of stuff.
Yabusele entered Thursday averaging 10.8 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 50.9 percent from the field. He was in the starting lineup against the Celtics.
“We didn’t really know if he was going to help us at all at the start of the year,” Nurse said. “He was kind of like one of the last guys we picked up as we went in there and we did kind of have a need at the roster there. So it’s been a lot of positives from him. He’s been really awesome. Shooting, energy, and effort are all there.”
