Celtics Face Shocking Roster Gamble: Why Letting Luke Kornet Walk Could Haunt Boston for Years—Insiders Reveal Locker Room Impact, Hidden Stats, and Why Re-Signing the Unsung Hero Is the Team’s Secret Weapon for Another Title Run! Front Office Under Fire—Will Celtics Make the Right Move?

Kornet, who can be a UFA this summer, has been a valuable role player for several years in Boston.

Chris Forsberg talks with Luke Kornet ahead of Game 6 between the Celtics and Knicks.

The Boston Celtics acquired Luke Kornet in a trade with the Chicago Bulls in 2021. Four years later, he’s now one of the team’s most important bench players, so much so that re-signing him in the offseason should be a priority for president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and his front office staff.

“Luke is one of the best teammates that you can have,” Jayson Tatum told reporters on Feb. 12. “An extremely selfless guy. Always talking, never has a bad day.”

In addition to his qualities as a teammate, Kornet is a valuable big man who can score in the paint, grab rebounds and defend the rim. He understands his role and plays it very well.

Kornet will be a free agent this summer. What does his future hold in Boston?

As we continue our “Celtics Player Spotlight” series, let’s recap Kornet’s 2024-25 season and analyze how he fits into Boston’s lineup for 2025-26:

2024-25 Season Recap

Kornet was a very useful center off the bench. He doesn’t stretch the floor as an outside shooter, but he’s very effective on lobs at the basket and has good touch around the rim. He averaged 6.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 blocks per game, while shooting 66.8 percent from the floor this past season.

Kornet saw action in all 11 of Boston’s playoff games, including an excellent performance in Game 5 against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals during which he scored 10 points with nine rebounds and seven blocks in a 127-102 win.

Kornet’s ability to set good screens and roll to the basket also was quite impressive. In fact, the Tatum/Kornet pick-and-roll combo was among the most effective in basketball. These stats below — from March 21 — are pretty interesting:

Kornet ended up leading the Celtics in both offensive rating (121.2) and net rating (14.9) during the regular season.

Contract details

Kornet’s one-year deal worth $2.8 million is about to expire, making him an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Potential roles for 2025-26

Scenario 1: Kornet re-signs, continues to play reserve center role

Kornet played his role at a high level this past season. He played a career-high 18.6 minutes per game and averaged more points and rebounds than any of his other seasons in Boston. He’s also been pretty durable, having played in 73 games this past season, 63 in 2023-24 and 69 in 2022-23.

ESPN introduced a new metric called “net points” this season. It tries to highlight players most directly contributing to their team’s point differential. Kornet ranked 16th in the entire league in net points, ahead of James Harden (17th), Jimmy Butler (18th) and LeBron James (19th). Kornet finished tied for 12th in defensive net points. It’s only one stat, and he’s obviously not better than Harden, Butler or James, but it does show that Kornet makes a very real (and quantifiable) impact on Boston’s success.

Scenario 2: Kornet departs in free agency; Celtics have to replace him

Kornet’s value in free agency might never be higher than this summer. He has proven to be an effective big man off the bench for a championship-caliber team. Teams like the Los Angeles Lakers that desperately need a center would be wise to make a pitch to Kornet if he hits the open market.

The Celtcs have an expensive roster, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they tried to shed salary in the offseason. They also must work under the constraints of being a team in the second apron. Can they afford to bring back both Kornet and Al Horford? Would one or both need to take a cheap, team-friendly deal for that to happen?

Kornet is a fan favorite in Boston, and the Celtics should try very hard to re-sign him. But he might be able to get more money and a larger role with another team.

Final thoughts

Kornet’s steady improvement with the Celtics has been impressive. His minutes and points per game have increased in each of the last three seasons. He’s a good defensive player, he’s effective in pick-and-rolls, his teammates love him, etc. He’s an ideal backup center.

Losing him in free agency wouldn’t be a massive blow to the Celtics roster, but it would definitely be a setback. The Celtics had a .750 win percentage (21-7 record) in the regular season when Kornet played 20-plus minutes. He makes a strong contribution to winning. Those players are not very easy to find.