Boston Celtics: Retain or release on 3 acquired Cs at deadline

Boston Celtics PF/C Luke Kornet

Finally on this countdown is the most unheralded player arriving to the Cs after an eventful trade deadline performance from the Boston Celtics front office: Luke Kornet.

Kornet’s value has plummeted since he signed a free-agent deal with the Chicago Bulls in the summer of 2019, with his shooting in particular suffering.

His 3-point shot–once the pillar of his game and something that separated him from the rest–has fallen to 26%. Unable to provide spacing, his role in the offense is finishing easy looks at the rim and stepping out in space from the mid-range.

Aka nothing most other free agents aren’t able to do.

Kornet is on an expiring deal like Fournier and Wagner, and he had a fantastic debut in green and white yesterday, amassing eight points, five rebounds, and an assist. While that performance was impressive, it by no means guarantees Danny Ainge’s trust for a new contract in the offseason.

In fact, Kornet was a popular option to hit the free-agent market after the Theis trade. Many outlets figured the Vanderbilt product could get the ax, but it appears as though he’ll get the chance to prove he isn’t deserving of that.

He’ll be in an offense equipped to give him the best chance to assert himself. Let’s hope he can do so.

Verdict: Keep if he returns to his New York Knicks form