Luke Kornet becomes lastest key Celtics piece lost to salary cap crunch

The salary cap has crunched down on the Celtics again.

This time, backup center Luke Kornet is headed out of Boston, agreeing to sign with the San Antonio Spurs in NBA free agency on Monday.

The Spurs signed Kornet to a four-year, $41 million contract. He will slot into the frontcourt to help Victor Wembanyama and company compete for a playoff spot. Kornet made a combined $11.5 combined over his past eight seasons.

Kornet is now the third player Celtics fans have to bid farewell to, including Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.

One of the main differences this time is that the Celtics wanted to bring Kornet back into the fold.

“As you look at the rest of the team and what we’re trying to do, there is no question our priorities would be to bring Al (Horford) and Luke back,” Celtics president Brad Stevens told reporters during his press conference after the 2025 NBA Draft. “Those guys are huge parts of this organization.”

However, it appears that the Spurs offered him too much.

Kornet, who won an NBA title with the club in 2024, was a fan favorite in Boston, serving as a great spark plug off the bench for the team.

While he only averaged six points per game alongside 5.3 rebounds, Celtics fans would not forget his Game Five against the Knicks in the second round of the 2025 playoffs.

After Porzingis was struggling and under the weather, Kornet came up big and went 5-5 from the field for 10 points on top of seven blocks and seven rebounds. He was a significant reason why the Celtics pushed the series to Game Six.

Now, the Celtics might do all they can to keep Horford in Boston, as if he leaves, the Celtics’ front-court depth would be significantly depleted.