The Boston Celtics are going to have a much different roster in 2025-26. They will likely have a new starting center once they inevitably trade Kristaps Porzingis this summer.
Luke Kornet has a shot to land that starting spot if he ends up staying in Boston. The Celtics don’t have much of a plan if they end up getting rid of Porzingis.
Kornet will also be a free agent this summer, complicating things. As the Celtics look to shed salary to get under the second apron, they might not be able to keep Kornet.
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Celtics center Luke Kornet might get an offer that Boston won’t be able to match
It looks like there is a good chance that the Celtics won’t be able to afford Kornet once he hits free agency. He could be in line for a massive raise.
In fact, it looks like Kornet might be making enough money on the open market to get paid the non-taxpayer midlevel exception. The Celtics might have to look elsewhere for center help.
Boston is still a good enough team to be able to survive without a traditional center on the floor, but they likely won’t be next season without Jayson Tatum for most of the season.
Kornet has a lot of skills that other teams in the NBA value. His length is good enough to be able to block shots at an elite rate if he is given more minutes than he was with the Celtics.
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Boston likes Kornet, but they might be okay with letting him walk if he is going to earn that much of a raise. They are looking to cut costs, especially entering a year without their best player.
The Celtics will have to figure out what they are going to do at the center spot if Kornet does end up leaving for another team. They still need a decent center to man the rim.
This season for the Celtics, Kornet averaged six points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. He shot 66.8 percent from the field, as well.
