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After the San Antonio Spurs were reportedly linked to Luke Kornet, the Los Angeles Clippers also have eyes for the Boston Celtics center ahead of free agency. The champion backup center has proven to be a reliable two-way asset and is coming off the most productive season of his career. Kornet averaged career-bests in points (6.0), rebounds (5.3), and minutes (18.6) per game in 2024-25.
Kornet also piqued the Clippers' interest, labeling themselves as “a team to watch” in the Kornet sweepstakes, according to Marc Stein. This comes off the report of the Spurs being considered a frontrunner for the ninth-year center, per The Stein Line's Jake Fischer.
“Another center target, sources say, that rival executives expect San Antonio to pursue: Boston's Luke Kornet,” Fischer reported. “The Celtics' 29-year-old big man, who has yet to earn north of $3 million in any single season in his eight-year NBA career, appears to have a real shot to cash out in this summer's mid-level market.”
Kornet's new contract is expected to be worth between $8 and $12 million per year or more, considering multiple teams, including the Clippers and Spurs, are reportedly interested.
Brad Stevens reveals Luke Kornet offseason plans for Celtics
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens expressed interest in bringing Luke Kornet back when he addressed the media on draft night. As the conversation shifted toward potential offseason moves for a front office that had a busy week following the trades of starters Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, Stevens revealed signing Kornet and Al Horford as part of the Celtics' offseason plans.
Stevens says re-signing the two centers is a priority this summer.
“I think the biggest thing is, as you look at the rest of the team and what we're trying to do, there's no question our priorities would be to bring Al and Luke back,” Stevens said.
As the two centers played pivotal roles, filling in for Porzingis throughout most of the Celtics' championship run in 2024, Horford and Kornet remained consistent throughout the 2024-25 season.
“Those guys are huge parts of this organization,” Stevens said. “They're going to have, I'm sure, plenty of options all over the place, and that's well deserved. I don't want to put pressure on them. It's their call ultimately, but yeah, we would love to have those guys back.”
While the Celtics had to part ways with two key contributors in Holiday and Porzingis, those two deals put them below the NBA's second apron luxury tax threshold.
