Celtics Must Retain Luke Kornet After Dominant Performance

Boston Celtics center Luke Kornet didn't miss a shot from the field, recording 10 points, nine rebounds, and a career high seven blocks against the New York Knicks Wednesday evening.

Kornet went 5-5 against his former team, helping the Celtics survive a Game 5 elimination. It was the second game this season in which Kornet recorded more than five blocks. The 25-point gap gave the Celtics the largest margin of victory in the series so far.

"Yeah, he was great," said Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla about Kornet. "Both ends of the floor. Did a great job protecting the rim. Did a great job defending without fouling. Did a great job on both ends of the floor. So just thought his presence was good, especially in the rebounding."

Kornet averaged 6.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists on 18.6 minutes per game in the 2024-25 season, all of which were above his career averages. His VORP of 1.8 ranks fifth among the defending champions, higher than Jrue Holiday's and Jaylen Brown's.

Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus has touched on Kornet's status in the organization, and noted that Boston may need to move off Kornet after his 1-year deal expires if they are financially pressured to do so.

"Kornet has earned notice as a rotation player on one of the top teams in the NBA. He has legit size (7'1") and may be a role player teams consider, especially with the Celtics' already-heavy payroll.

"Boston can pay him more than the minimum, but if another team offers something in the $5-7 million range, the Celtics may feel the pressure (financially) to move on."

Kornet also touched on free agency before the 2024-25 season, stating he wanted to stay in Boston.

“I kind of knew the whole time it’d be hard to go anywhere else,” Kornet said. “I knew that Boston, in terms of what was available for us too, was kind of limited, but to be able to play with this team — and my family’s been here. There were some great options to go other places, but you notice … is there anywhere else I’d want to play with a different group of people? I feel like the group that feels like you’re making the most out of what you’re trying to accomplish and being able to compete at the highest level. Honestly, the five years that I’ve been here have made it difficult to want anything else, especially with the group having basically everyone back. It’s an honor to be able to play here and play with these guys.”

It is unclear whether or not the Celtics will make a move to keep Kornet or not after the expiration of his 1-year, $2.8 million deal, but after his performance in Game 5, he has proven that he is worth keeping around for the Celtics.

More Celtics news:

Celtics' Jaylen Brown Sparked Game 5 With Passionate Pre-Game Address

Celtics' Joe Mazzulla Reveals Big Injury Update on Kristaps Porzingis

How Lakers' Kobe Bryant's Achilles Recovery and Post-Injury Performance Can Help Celtic Fans Today

For more news and notes about the Boston Celtics, head on over to Boston Celtics on SI.