Will the Boston Celtics bring back backup big man Luke Kornet in free agency? If you ask one NBA analyst, it could depend on how the team’s front office feels about another reserve center on the team’s roster. That analyst would be HoopsHype’s Mark Deeks, who recently wrote up what he thinks of the Vanderbilt alum’s odds of sticking with the ball club he won the 2024 NBA Championship with.
“With the team since February 2022, Kornet’s second stint in Boston has now lasted almost two and a half years, which is enough to qualify him for full Bird rights,” notes Deeks.
“This might be important, because having reinvented himself away from the modern stretch five archetype he was once thought to embody, Kornet has gotten good.”
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“Always a genuine paint deterrent … Kornet has added tremendous offensive efficiency to that, and has proved hardier than it was once supposed he would be given his narrow frame,” adds the HH analyst. “Other quality teams may find a portion of their mid-level exception to use on this quality 7-foot-2 backup.”
“By virtue of having the Bird rights, the Celtics will not need to use a portion of their own to compete with that – however, they may have to choose between him and Tillman, purely for financial reasons.”
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