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The Boston Celtics’ attempt to defend their NBA championship ended in disappointment Friday night, as they were eliminated by the New York Knicks in a 119-81 Game 6 loss in the second round of the playoffs. Following the defeat, veteran center and impending free agent Luke Kornet addressed the media but declined to offer specifics about his future with the team.
Speaking with Noa Dalzell of Celtics on CLNS, Kornet offered a brief response regarding his plans for free agency.
“Regarding going forward, we’ll figure out that stuff when it comes to it,” Kornet said. “At this point, you just want to unwind and spend time with family.”
The 29-year-old big man, who has played eight seasons across multiple teams including the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls, has spent the last three years with Boston. During the 2024-25 campaign, Kornet carved out the most substantial role of his NBA career. He appeared in 72 regular season games and averaged a career-high 18.6 minutes per game, contributing six points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and one block per contest while shooting an efficient 66.8% from the field.
Luke Kornet’s breakout postseason comes as Celtics face uncertain offseason
Kornet earned the start in Game 6, finishing with five points, five rebounds, one assist, and one block in 21 minutes. His postseason highlight came in Game 5, where he delivered a career-best playoff performance. In that game, Kornet totaled 10 points, nine rebounds, seven blocks, an assist, and a steal while going a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and recording a +20 in plus/minus.
Kornet’s emergence as a reliable frontcourt contributor comes at a time of growing uncertainty for Boston. The Celtics are expected to face a pivotal offseason. Reports indicate the team could consider reshaping its roster to manage a projected payroll that would exceed $500 million, including luxury tax penalties, if the current core remains intact.
Additionally, All-Star forward Jayson Tatum is expected to miss the majority of the 2025-26 season after suffering a torn Achilles in Game 4 of the Knicks series. His extended absence could influence the Celtics’ approach to both free agency and internal roster decisions.
Kornet, who played on a minimum contract this past season, could be one of several role players whose futures hinge on how Boston’s front office chooses to navigate its cap situation and long-term roster structure. While he declined to commit to a direction publicly, his growth into a rotation player on a title-contending team may increase his value on the open market.
As Boston regroups from a season that ended earlier than expected, decisions surrounding veterans like Jrue Holiday, rotation contributors like Kornet, and the injured Tatum will define how the franchise moves forward.
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Ex-NBA Big Kendrick Perkins Makes a Bold Claim About LA Lakers Duo
The Los Angeles Lakers are thriving, and LeBron James hasn’t even stepped foot on the court yet. Nobody expected a collapse for a LeBron-less Lakers team, especially considering Luka Doncic is leading the charge. But the NBA has seen plenty of scoring outbursts this year, and both Doncic and Austin Reaves are responsible for a handful of them. In Kendrick Perkins’ eyes, the Lakers have the hottest duo in the league with Doncic and Reaves. via @KendrickPerkins: I think it’s safe to say that Luka and Reaves are the Best Duo in Basketball right now It’s very early in the year, so it’s difficult to truly crown a top player, duo, or team this season. However, Perkins’ opinion once again shines a light on just how dominant Doncic and Reaves have been, and they haven’t even done it all together. Through the Lakers’ first seven games, Doncic has appeared in four matchups. In his first two games of the season, Doncic scored over 40 points in each of the games, logging double-doubles in both outings. He missed three games due to a minor setback, and then returned to the floor with a 44-point outing, marking his third-straight 40-point effort, along with a double-double. Sunday’s action against the Miami Heat didn’t feature a 40-point game, but Doncic was still quite productive. The star guard produced 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 10-point win. Looking over at Austin Reaves the star guard has played in all seven games for the Lakers this year. He started the season off with showings of 26 points and 25 points. Reaves went off with a 51-point double-double against the Sacramento Kings. He followed that performance up with a 41-point outing against the Portland Trail Blazers. Reaves didn’t continue rattling off 40-plus-point efforts, but he maintained productive scoring as Doncic returned to the lineup. Against the Memphis Grizzlies last Friday, Reaves scored 21 points in 36 minutes. In the following game against the Miami Heat, he dropped 26 points and 11 assists in 37 minutes of action. When it comes to point totals, Doncic and Reaves are the top two teammates in that category so far. Reaves is second in the NBA with 218 points, trailing the reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Doncic comes in at 12th, with 165 points, trailing Giannis Antetokounmpo and Donovan Mitchell, just outside of the top 10. Want to read more about the daily ripple effects of the NBA? Make sure you bookmark Fastbreak on SI for the top hoops stories of the day from a league-wide scope. The Latest on Fastbreak on SI
Seahawks GM's comments offer clue at potential NFL trade deadline partners
If there was any question about whether the Seattle Seahawks should be buyers or sellers going into the NFL trade deadline, last night's crushing victory over the Washington Commanders answered it. After eight games played, Seattle has a top-five scoring offense, a top-five scoring defense and a special teams unit that's making high-impact plays routine. That gives the Seahawks all the reason in the world to be aggressive at the trade deadline, and the latest reporting suggests that's exactly what they're going to do. General manager John Schneider may have offered a hint in his pre-game radio hit with KIRO, saying that the Seahawks spoke with teams at the Maryland-Indiana game on Saturday. That give us an idea of who they might be dealing with, based on the reports of the other teams who sent personnel to that game. That includes the San Francisco 49ers, the New York Jets, the Carolina Panthers, the Cleveland Browns and the Washington Commanders, who may have had some extra face time with the Seahawks during last night's game. We can safely cross the 49ers off the list of potential trade partners, but we can't do that with any others. The one question mark is the Panthers - and nobody seems to know which way they're leaning. Carolina is a surprise 5-4 after shocking the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, but the gap between the Panthers and the NFC teams currently on pace for a playoff spot is pretty massive. That makes the Jets, Browns and Commanders the most likely candidates to make a deal with the Seahawks from this list but we also have to assume they're talking with other teams. Pete Carroll's Raiders are another obvious potential trade partner based on their relationship and the fact that they're 2-6 going into the deadline. The Seahawks have also had a long history of making deals with the Philadelphia Eagles, who need cornerback help an have reportedly been considering a deal for Riq Woolen. On that note, the math may have changed last night due to the injuy to Josh Jobe, who was ruled out early with a concussion. Woolen responded with his best game of the season - which might be just enough to convince the Seahawks to keep him around for the playoffs.
Intriguing reunion on table for Steelers with trade deadline nearing
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Canadiens Player Sends Clear Message After Senators Targeted Ivan Demidov
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