Boston Celtics: A sign big man with partial guarantee will have role in 2022-23

Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens has an interesting Twitter history that Hardwood Houdini was not privy to until NBC Sports Boston’s Bobby Manning pointed it out on Saturday morning.

Stevens, who joined Twitter in 2009, had never liked a single tweet during his 13 years on the social media platform until Twitter user ‘The Celtics Files’ posted a video featuring reserve center Luke Kornet dribbling around a defender and throwing down a two-hand reverse slam in a pickup game.

Kornet has appeared in 30 games for the Boston Celtics since being part of the Daniel Theis trade with the Chicago Bulls at the 2021 NBA trade deadline. That deal was done by Danny Ainge, who has since moved on to change the trade market forever as the President of the Utah Jazz.

Stevens kept Kornet on as a member of the Maine Celtics before he signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks for short stints last season as the COVID-19 Omicron variant did a number on depth charts across the league game-to-game.

Luke Kornet could have a big role with the Boston Celtics in 2022-23

Given Robert Williams’ injury history and Al Horford’s age, the Boston Celtics will need a reliable big man to be the primary pivot off the pine to spell the two starters in games they play and in games they sit out.

While veteran names like LaMarcus Aldridge and Dwight Howard were tossed out as potential center options, Luke Kornet is someone that’d need no transition period given his familiarity with Ime Udoka’s offensive and defensive schemes.

If Stevens’ apparent endorsement is worth a damn–and given his role as President of Basketball Operations, we’re going to go out on a limb and say it is–Kornet could find time as the first big off the bench competing with two-way signing Mfiondu Kabengele.