Back home in the Dallas area this week for his annual youth basketball camp, Jordan Walsh sat down for a virtual Q&A with the Herald.
Here’s what the fourth-year Celtics wing had to say about his fresh contract extension, his early interactions with new teammate Paul George, the Jaylen Brown/LeBron James team-up in Philadelphia and more:
Q: First off, congratulations on the new contract (three years, $15 million). What was your reaction to getting that deal done, and does it give you an increased sense of security heading into Year 4 in Boston?
Walsh: “Yeah, for sure it gave me a sense of security, because it’s kind of like the ultimate sign of an organization believing in you by giving you that and committing to you for the next couple years. It does give me a sense of security, and I think that it kind of opens the door to start to explore new avenues of playing basketball, trying to expand my game a little bit, get better in other ways and show that on the court.”
Did you expect to sign an extension this offseason?
“I mean, that was always the plan. I can’t say it was an expectation, but it was always the plan that I had getting into the league. I always knew that the second (contract) is kind of what separates people, so I always knew that I wanted to get to this point. But I can’t say it was expected.”
You mentioned exploring new avenues. Last month at Summer League, you said you were “trying to become a way better offensive player.”
“Yeah, exactly. Just trying to find more ways to score, trying to be an option or the best option for the scenarios that I want to be in.”
Have you changed anything about your offseason approach in pursuit of that?
“The only thing I’m changing is what I’m working on. It’s more a focus on go-to moves and finding your spots on the court, how to get to them and get your shot off against defenders. And then just taking advantage of your moments better.”
You’re back in Texas right now for your basketball camp. Why is it important to you to host something like that?
“I mean, I was in a place where I didn’t have that done for me, so now that I have the opportunity to give back, then I think that’s what I should be doing. I feel like it would mean the world to me if I was going to a camp and had current NBA players there supporting, hosting it for us, and then showing love and being there in it with us. Like, that’s a huge part of it. And so now that I can do that and I have time to do that in the community that raised me and that took care of me, then I would love to give back as much as possible and do the best that I can for them.”
As you head toward training camp, how do you view the competition between Celtics wings like yourself, Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez, Ron Harper Jr.?
“I think it’s a great competition. I think because of that competition, everybody will always be better. I think Joe (Mazzulla) does a good job of trying to balance that out, trying to find the spots to put us all in positions where we all can succeed, because we’re all different. So shoutout to him for playing that balance. … In the end, I think that’s why the organization decided to keep us all together and show all of us how much appreciation they have for us. Ron signed; I signed. Baylor and Hugo are next. So I think that’s a big thing. I think it shows the belief and then the commitment to the young guys. That’s huge.”
Center Neemias Queta, too. He also got a new contract this offseason.
“It’s huge. I was talking to Neemi about it. When Neemi came to the team, he was on a two-way, and we were playing in Maine together. Obviously, things went how they went, and now he’s signed an extension, I’ve gotten mine, and it’s so cool to have built that up with him from Day 1. Obviously, a lot of people have gone, (left) the team or, whatever the case may be, got traded. But for a guy that I’ve been really, really close with, kind of like going through the fire with him, and then now seeing this, it’s huge for everybody.”
Have you met any of the team’s veteran additions (Paul George, Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley)?
“No, not in person. I’ve texted a little bit with PG already, just talking about some stuff. But that’s pretty much it.”
What are your thoughts on George, having played against him several times?
“Well, I remember after playing him in the playoffs last year, I told him that next season I would come back as a guy that he’d have to respect and teams would have to respect. Because I feel like a lot of the time, I was just left open or whatever in the series. So I left him with that comment, and then now he’s on my team. So it’s kind of crazy to see. But he’s a really good guy from what I can tell, from what I’ve seen, from what I’ve heard, and he’s already been trying to work with me a little bit in the areas I want to get better. So I appreciate him for that. He’s definitely a good guy, based off of what I’ve seen so far.”
Boston, MA – Boston Celtics’ Jordan Walsh looks to pass over Orlando Magic’s Desmond Bane during the third quarter of the game at the TD Garden. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)
You were close with Jaylen Brown. What will be the most difficult thing to replace as the Celtics move forward without him?
“I mean, I think everything about him is hard to replace. A guy who gets the Finals MVP a couple years before, plays and has one of his best seasons (in 2025), but then also a season where I felt like I got so much closer with him. It’s hard to replace those on- and off-the-court feelings and emotions and production that we get from him. Obviously, the organization made the decision, have done what they’ve done, so we’re all going to fight with that and continue to see that vision through, whatever they’ve laid for us. It’s a big job on Joe, and then everybody else kind of jelling together to patch up that hole. And it’s going to be tough because he’s such a good locker room guy. … It’s obviously going to be tough, but we’re going to try our best to fill that.”
Thoughts on LeBron James joining Brown on a 76ers team you’ll see six times this season (including two preseason games)?
“I mean, it’s competition, you know? It’s always going to be competition. At the end of the day, obviously, everybody wants to win. Everybody wants to get a championship, and so Philly’s going to do the best they can to get there, and we’re going to do the best that we can to get there. But for it being a team that we’re going to play so many times over and over again, it just means that we’re going to have the best chance of getting it going against them and feeling them out before the playoffs. And so hopefully by that time when the playoffs come, we’ll be able to have our adjustments and have our fixes to be able to, you know, change history.”
What’s your plan for the rest of the offseason?
“I’ll be here in Dallas for a little bit longer, just working out with my people that I’ve been working out with, lifting, trying to get stronger, trying to gain some weight. And then in the next week or two, head back to Boston, start working out there, just get back into the rhythm of a schedule, of what they’ll have for me to do.”
Any particular weight-gain goal? (Walsh is listed at 6-foot-6, 205 pounds.)
“The end goal is 225 pounds. I don’t even know where I’m at right now. But it’s more about, I want to be able to move people. Like, I want to be stronger more than it is about gaining weight. That’s more of the focus. But if that comes with gaining weight, then that’s what it’s going to be. Because I just need to be stronger.”