As the Celtics look to shed salary off their roster, they’ll also need to figure out what they’re going to do with their big man rotation. Both Al Horford and Luke Kornet are free agents this summer as it’s unclear if both bigs will return to Boston come training camp.
Kornet is due for a significant pay raise this summer coming off a breakout season. Per Michael Scotto, Kornet is set to have a “robust market” among teams “who have the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to spend.” That’s no surprise as Kornet showed he’s a capable backup big man. He averaged 6.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 73 games (16 starts) for the C’s last season.
Kornet, 29, played on a minimum contract as he was great value for the Celtics. He earned consistent playoff minutes and was graded as one of the most valuable backup bigs in the league. Kornet also had impressive chemistry with Jayson Tatum — especially on the pick-and-roll where they were consistently efficient.
But now that Kornet is a free agent, other teams know what he can bring to the table. While he doesn’t shoot 3-pointers anymore, Kornet has maximized his value as he’s set for a nice payday in free agency. The Celtics do have his Bird Rights, so they can pay him whatever they want, but the price tag could be too much for a team looking to shed salary off their payroll.
So with the C’s set to make multiple decisions this summer, Kornet is an important one for the roster construction. Even if Horford comes back, he just turned 39 so relying on him for heavy minutes is out of the question. Kristaps Porzingis continues to have availability issues. Neemias Queta showed he can be a backup big but he was the fourth guy in the equation for a reason.
Kornet has fit in well with the Celtics ever since he was acquired back at the trade deadline in 2021. He’s developed nicely within the organization and has earned the opportunity for a lucrative deal this summer. For now, Celtics fans will hope Kornet, who’s become the team clown of sorts, is back in Boston after free agency.