Celtics Work Quickly to Re-Sign Luke Kornet

Bobby Krivitsky | Jun 30, 2024

May 13, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Boston Celtics center Luke Kornet (40) dunks against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second quarter of game four of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

As soon as NBA free agency opened at 6:00 p.m. on the East Coast, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Celtics are re-signing Luke Kornet.

The seven-foot-two center returns on a one-year deal. Boston has his Bird rights, meaning that despite the restrictions of being over the second apron, it can give Kornet a pay bump after he played on a two-year, $4.5 million deal with an average annual salary of $2.3 million.

While the Celtics could give him a raise, Spotrac projects the Texas native, who earned $2.4 million last season, will see that figure trimmed to $2.1 million for the 2024-25 campaign.

In his seventh season in the Association, Kornet averaged 5.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game in 63 regular season appearances while logging 15.6 minutes of floor time.

He repeatedly stepped up when called upon in the playoffs, including contributing nine points, six rebounds, three coming at the offensive end of the court, and a block in Boston's Game 4 win over the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Kornet, who turns 29 in July, knows the Celtics' system as well as anyone. Joe Mazzulla trusts him to quarterback the defense, including empowering him to change coverages and matchups.

Joe Mazzulla cited the play below as an example of Luke Kornet's "Innate ability to communicate matchups, change matchups, & change his coverage."

"He was in touch, but it was an empty side, and he made a great decision to blitz it, and then Jrue came over and blocked the shot." pic.twitter.com/muwziZSN6a

— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) March 10, 2024

When asked what his head coach trusting him with that responsibility means to him, Kornet conveyed the following to Inside The Celtics.

"I feel like he's done that with our entire team. And I think it's funny because like, throughout the course of the season, I feel like we were very fluid with a lot of stuff, and him letting us know it's not going to look a certain way every single time; there's not just one coverage that you have to rely on. 

"And so, being able to trust our instincts on the court and being willing to kind of adapt on the fly. I think while you're going through the process of figuring out what that looks like, (it) can be a little, like shakier, and a little less vague. 

"But then, as you go through all the experiences together and you have all those little moments, and you start to really feel it out and to have the freedom to know that you can adapt things based on what the matchup exactly is, like what your advantage is, what your teammates' advantage is, and vice versa. I think it makes you a lot more adaptable, and I feel like it gives everyone a much more collective mentality (and) identity that we all start kind of seeing things through the same lens a little bit versus it just being very strictly a certain assignment and having to do it one way."

In this author's opinion, Boston has put Kornet in his optimal role offensively in the last two years, tapping into his effectiveness as a screener, including executing dribble handoffs, and finishing at the rim. Mazzulla has also labeled him and free agent Oshae Brissett their two best players on the offensive glass.

Beyond that, the former Vanderbilt star, who joined the 50/40/90 club, shooting 70% from the field, 90.7% from the free-throw line, and making the only three he hoisted, might even start taking more shots from beyond the arc again.

In his first two NBA seasons, both spent with the Knicks, he shot over 35% from three-point range while launching at least four triples in both years he spent in the Big Apple.

Keeping Kornet in the fold will give the Celtics peace of mind as they cautiously proceed with Kristaps Porzingis, who underwent surgery to repair a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon. Per the team, the expectation is that he will return to play in five-to-six months, meaning the former All-Star projects to join Boston's quest for Banner 19 in November or December, with the latter seeming more likely.

Further Reading

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Baylor Scheierman Shares Celtics' Feedback Before Drafting Him

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