After joining the Boston Celtics as part of a training camp invitation, Lonnie Walker IV knew he was in for an uphill battle to make the team’s opening roster. Mostly for reasons beyond his own control.

Despite an interesting camp in which he reassured the Celtics and the rest of the league that he can still be an NBA contributor, Walker was released on Saturday as the Celtics decided to only have 14 players through opening night of the 2024-25 season to have in their squad this season.

Celtics players and coaches raved about Walker’s positive energy and tireless work ethic. The highlight came Friday night when, after the team gathered in Everett for its annual Shamrock Gala, Walker moved into the Auerbach Center gym for a midnight practice during his final hours with the team.

Ultimately, the luxury tax conspired against Walker. The Celtics already have a large tax bill to pay. Signing Walker to a contract with a minimum salary of $2 million could still have cost the team over $10 million if the team hadn’t otherwise cut salary before the end of the season.

Walker started slowly in Boston’s first two preseason games in Abu Dhabi but shined when the Celtics moved to the United States. He did just about everything he could to force the Celtics to consider signing a 15th player.

The team simply valued flexibility and money management. The fact that Walker forced the team to think hard about promoting him shows the impact he made with his approach and play.

Walker will have the opportunity to join the Maine Celtics as an associate player. Unlike Boston’s three two-way players – rookie Anton Watson, JD Davison and Drew Peterson – the Celtics would not be able to call up Walker without first adding him to the regular roster. A midseason move to Boston’s roster could provide an opportunity to get Walker back on track.

The decision to cut Walker gives someone like Jaden Springer a chance to prove the team made the right investment by spending a second-round pick to sign him last season. But Springer needs to develop to justify the $4 million salary, which also increases with tax penalties.

The Celtics could have promoted Walker as the 15th player into the regular season without immediate penalty. But it would have limited opportunities to add players and potentially created challenges if the team wanted to cut costs before the trade deadline.

Walker should be considered by NBA teams dealing with preseason injuries. Some of Boston’s rivals might be intrigued by what they saw in Walker’s preseason game with the Celtics.