Celtics Reportedly Sign Guard Walt Lemon Jr. To Two-Way Contract
By Matthew Geagan, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- As they wait for an end to their stalemate with restricted free agent Marcus Smart, the Celtics are rounding out the bottom of their roster.
After releasing Kadeem Allen from his two-way contract over the weekend, the C's have already found his replacement in 25-year-old guard Walt Lemon Jr., whom Boston reportedly signed to a two-way NBA contract on Monday.
The 6-foot-3 guard spent much of last season in the G League with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, where he averaged 22.4 points and 6.1 assists. Lemon shot 49 percent from the floor and 31 percent from downtown before signing a 10-day contract with the New Orleans Pelicans in late February. He played five games for New Orleans, scoring 17 points in his 35 minutes of action on 44 percent shooting (he hit his only three-pointer at the NBA level for a crisp 100 percent from beyond the arc), earning a second 10-day contract from the team.
Lemon recently played in five Summer League games for the Pelicans, averaging 13.3 points off 44 percent shooting, 6.4 assists and 3.6 rebounds per contest.
If you don't know much about Lemon, who went undrafted out of Bradley in 2014, you are certainly are not alone. Thankfully, that's what YouTube was created for: To get a complete picture of unknown basketball players, one 90-second highlight reel at a time. Here is Lemon dropping 40 points on the Maine Red Claws last season with the Mad Ants.
He can clearly drive to the basket, but his shot needs a little work. With his two-way contract with the C's, Lemon will likely see plenty of playing time in Maine next season.
