Luke Kornet may have played his final game as a Boston Celtic in the team's Game 6 loss vs. the New York Knicks last Friday. The big man will hit free agency this summer, with his contract expiring on July 1.
Considering how financially strapped the Celtics are, and their goal of getting below the second apron threshold, they may not want to shell out the sort of cash that'll be required to retain Kornet.
“I’ll figure out stuff when it kind of comes to it,” Kornet said of his looming free agency Saturday (via CLNS Media). “At this point, you’re just kind of trying to unwind and spend some time with family and you don’t even know what everything is gonna look like because you just got done playing. That’s kind of what it is for now.”
The 29-year-old averaged a career-high in minutes this season, providing key stability for Boston as Kristaps Porzingis was in and out of the lineup, and Al Horford was load managing at 38 years old. His growth as a playmaker out of the short roll, combined with his reliable touch at the rim, and elite positioning made him super effective for the Celtics.
If Kornet does decide to leave this summer, his absence will be felt. That's for sure.
Which teams are most likely to pry Kornet away from the Celtics?
What's not for sure is where Kornet would end up if he were to leave the Celtics. Free agency isn't what it used to be and there aren't many teams with a ton of cap space. There are, however, plenty of teams with the non-taxpayer mid-level exception of $14.1 million.
Let's take a look at a few who may be motivated to go out and sign Kornet this summer.
Los Angeles Lakers
Unfortunately, the Lakers feel like one of the most likely suitors for Kornet. They're set to be a little over $4 million below the league's first apron, meaning they'll be able to spend the full MLE. The Lakers' desire/need for a big man is the worst-kept secret in the NBA.
Even at the time that they traded Anthony Davis in February, Davis had just done a sit-down interview with Shams Charania where he essentially begged the front office to bring in more help in the paint.
Once they swapped Davis for Luka Doncic (and Maxi Kleber, of course), they were really left feeling undersized. JJ Redick literally had to roll out Rui Hachimura at the five with the season on the line against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
That went about as well as you'd guess, with Rudy Gobert dominating them for 27 points and 24 rebounds.
It would take more than just Kornet to solve L.A.'s center issues, but it'd be a partial solution at the very least.
San Antonio Spurs
Unlike the Lakers, the Spurs have a franchise center in Victor Wembanyama. If they were to go after Kornet, it would be more to round out the rotation, rather than to bring in a starter.
Outside of Wemby, the Spurs won't have a single center on their roster come July 1. Charles Bassey, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Bismack Biyombo will all be restricted free agents. Now, there's a possibility that they look to retain at least one of those guys, but Kornet would be the most reliable option of the bunch.
San Antonio has made strides back towards contention. Of course Wembanyma is the centerpiece, but they brought in DeAaron Fox at the trade deadline to play alongside him. Not to mention that they've got a young core of Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson and more to round out the roster.
Oh, and they've got the second pick in this year's draft.
They are going to be competitive next year, and would be a logical next step for Kornet's career. He could get paid and still contribute to winning.
Not to mention that the 29-year-old is from just outside of Dallas, so he'd be relatively close to home.
Philadelphia 76ers
This one's a bit more out of left field, but there's a case for the 76ers to make a play at Kornet. First and foremost, Joel Embiid's health is always going to be a question mark for them. The former MVP is great when he's able to be on the court, but he just missed the majority of last season with lingering knee issues.
In his absence, it was up to Andre "Greatest Rebounder of All Time" Drummond to hold down the fort with rookie Adem Bona backing him up.
With there being a very real possibility that Embiid misses time again, it would make sense for Philly to look to bolster their center rotation. Kornet is a solid starter/backup hybrid and would be valuable to them regardless of Embiid's status.
There's a pretty decent chance that the Sixers are back in the 2025-26 season. They just pulled off a successful tank job and landed the No. 3 selection in next month's draft. Not to mention that Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and Jared McCain should all be healthy after missing varied amounts of time last year.
Even though there are many teams who can offer Kornet a raise this summer, it's not clear if he'll really want to leave Boston. He's now played five total seasons with the Cs and is a fan favorite. It's important to note that the Celtics CAN technically offer Kornet more than the minimum salary because they have his Bird Rights. So, he could both get paid and not have to move.
Only time will tell what happens to the big dawg, though.