Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has handed out nearly a billion dollars in extensions over the past two years while re-signing the top eight players on Boston’s roster in Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Payton Pritchard, and Sam Hauser.
And yet, sometimes we wonder if his biggest heist is re-signing Luke Kornet to a one-year, $2.1 million minimum salary contract this past offseason.
In a league thin of serviceable backup big men, Kornet seemingly could have cashed in this summer after being the ninth man in Boston’s championship rotation. Last season he quietly morphed his game from floor-stretching big to paint-cemented rim-runner, and produced his best overall season as a pro.
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Instead of waiting for big money offers, Kornet was essentially the NBA’s first re-signee, agreeing to the one-year pact with Boston right at the very first moment teams could announce deals with their own players.
On Saturday night, in a spot start in Charlotte, Kornet scored a season-high 19 points on perfect 6-of-6 shooting with four rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal. In fact, he didn’t miss a shot over two games against the Hornets. For the season, Kornet is averaging 5.7 points and 4.1 rebounds over 19 minutes per game.
Luke Kornet making BIG contributions for the Celtics tonight💪 pic.twitter.com/WPyR3WIPbt
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) November 2, 2024
It’s the not the sexiest stat line, but head coach Joe Mazzulla is quick to point out that so much of Kornet’s impact can't be quantified in counting stats. Kornet is content to set screens and make good decisions when he does touch the ball. He’s a solid passer who can spray it to shooters off the roll, and he’s content to subsist on lobs and putbacks for his own offensive output.
When the Celtics are at full health, Kornet’s role can be a bit more limited. But on a team where Kristaps Porzingis is sidelined until December and Al Horford needs strategic rest, having a third big like Kornet is key to Boston sustaining a high level of play. Not every matchup is ideal for Kornet, and the Celtics have mixed in a healthy dose of fellow big man Neemias Queta early in the season, but Kornet is still a luxury.
Especially at his price tag.
Of the 14 players under contract for the Celtics this season, Kornet has the second-lowest cap hit on the team. Only 20-year-old 2023 second-round pick Jordan Walsh ($1.9 million) will make less. Xavier Tillman and Queta, who both also re-signed with Boston this offseason, carry a slightly higher cap hit. Rookie Baylor Scheierman’s rookie pact starts at $2.5 million for the 2024-25 season.
Kornet accounts for a mere 1.5 percent of the league’s salary cap, a huge value for a team that is committed to roughly $173 million for its top six players.
Of the 436 players signed to NBA teams at the start of the 2024-25 season, 355 will earn more money than Kornet this season. There are 129 players earning under $3 million this season and you will only find maybe a handful who arguably offer better bang for the buck than Kornet: guys like Utah big man Walker Kessler and Denver backup wing Peyton Watson, both former late first-round picks.
There is one other player who might be a better value in Kornet's Celtics teammate, Sam Hauser. Hauser is making basically the same money as Kornet this season before his four-year, $45 million extension hits the books next season.
Of the 79 pure centers under contract this season in the NBA, Kornet’s money is tied for 63rd in value. He’s slightly ahead of Duop Reath, thanks to years of service, but slightly behind Jay Huff. Some of the minimum salaries around him read like entries for Charles Barkley’s “Who he play for?” bit.
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Over the summer, NBA teams rushed to hand out decent money to backup-caliber big men. Precious Achiuwa signed a one-year, $6 million pact with the Knicks. Drew Eubanks got a two-year, $10 million deal in Utah, while Andre Drummond got the same money in Philly. The Bulls splurged $27 million over three years to ink Jalen Smith.
He’s not a center, but even former Celtics guard Svi Mykhailiuk, who played 413 total minutes for the Celtics last season, and just 32 minutes in the playoffs, signed a partially guaranteed four-year contract with Utah that is paying him $3.5 million this season.
Kornet had better money offers on the table but had little reason to stray. His family is comfortable here and even spent part of an abbreviated offseason in New Hampshire after years of relocating to Nashville during the summer months.
Kornet knew he’d have a defined and robust role on a championship-level team and can always explore more valuable offers after the season when Boston has tougher decisions about keeping this core intact. Kornet also gets the security of being able to veto any trade having signed at the value rate.
What’s more, Kornet is valued in Boston. In announcing the new deal, Stevens noted, “[Kornet] is the ultimate teammate, and his attitude and spirit have a contagious effect on our team.”
Kornet brings levity to a team that often operates with a very businesslike demeanor. And even some of those intangibles are worth more than he’s making this season.
