The Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics are prominent rivals within the Eastern Conference, so the two hate to see each other make a strong move.
One such example includes the Celtics not only signing guard Lonnie Walker IV earlier this offseason but signing him to an Exhibit 10 deal, which is basically a training camp deal. Many across the league couldn't believe the defending champions were able to pull that off, letting the rich get richer.
Walker would have been a fantastic pickup for the Bucks, but there is certainly no reason to complain about their signings of Delon Wright, Taurean Prince and Gary Trent Jr. Had the Bucks been afforded just one more roster spot, they likely would have had Walker circled.
Well, even after Walker joined arguably their biggest rival, there's a chance the Bucks may be able to snag him.
The Bucks should be keeping tabs on this situation in Boston
According to The Athletic NBA insider Shams Charania (Subscription required), there's a chance the Celtics cut Walker before the season to keep their flexibility open. Due to the nature of his contract, Boston could then have the wing play for their G-League affiliate to earn a nice bonus. He could also seek another NBA contract, one that the Milwaukee Bucks should find a way to offer him.
For a team that desperately needs more athleticism and explosiveness in tow, Walker would fit right in with the Bucks. The 6-foot-4 guard has always been known for his eye-popping bounce, getting out in transition and leaping out of the gym for a rim-rocking dunk. That's exactly the type of energy that one of the oldest teams in the league could use to give them a spark.
In addition to simply being an electric athlete, Walker is coming off a solid year with the Brooklyn Nets last season, where he averaged 9.7 points and 2.2 rebounds per contest while hitting 38.4 percent of his 3-point tries. That's a good role-player who could certainly help a team like the Milwaukee Bucks.
The roadblock that may prevent the Bucks from signing Walker immediately, other than him being with the Celtics still, is that they have no standard roster spots available. If Walker is indeed waived and hits the market, the Bucks must think long and hard about creating a roster spot, most likely by dumping one of their salaries in a trade.
An athletic wing like Walker could be an excellent pickup for Milwaukee.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.