The San Antonio Spurs have signed Luke Kornet to a four-year, $41 million contract, stealing him from the Boston Celtics, who will be left to pick up the pieces in his absence. It’s been quite the year for Kornet, first signing a minimum contract with the Celtics last summer when he likely could have had a big payday, and now, inking the first massive contract of his career.
Kornet began his career as a stretch big man with the New York Knicks before moving on to stops with other teams, the Chicago Bulls and Celtics included. After a year of 10-day contracts, he made his way back through the G League with the Maine Celtics, before finally landing a rotation spot at TD Garden.
The big problem, however, is that the Celtics' center position is now in a terrible position.
Losing Luke Kornet means Celtics center position is rough
With Kornet gone, the Celtics are in a very tough spot at the center position. All that’s left on the roster will be Neemias Queta, Xavier Tillman, and rookie Amari Williams, barring some change via free agency or a trade.
Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard, alongside new acquisition Anfernee Simons, should be able to lead the way, but without a starting-caliber center on the roster, they will have to figure things out on the fly at that spot.
Even with Jayson Tatum sidelined for most (if not all) of next year, that’s not a great situation to be in.
The Celtics' center position is ugly. Queta hasn't improved much since joining the Celtics. He's an electric shot-blocker and an impressive rebounder, but he's reckless. Fouls occur almost as often as blocks, if not more often, and a good chunk of his screens are illegal. That's all without mentioning his struggles staying in position on both ends and a lack of playmaking awareness down low.
Though Tillman looked great last preseason, everything since then has been a disaster. He hasn't been able to get on the floor in Joe Mazzulla's rotation, and he looks completely unwilling to shoot the ball. Plus, he's not moving very well.
That just leaves Williams - a rookie. Mazzulla hasn't been super willing to play rookies up to this point in his coaching career.
Al Horford can be accounted for, too, but his future with the team is a complete unknown.
With Kornet gone, the Celtics' center position is in a brutal spot.
How can Luke Kornet help the Spurs?
For the Spurs, Kornet should be the perfect backup option behind Victor Wembanyama, a spot on the roster that they have struggled to fill since the French sensation entered the league.
This past season with the Celtics, Kornet has emerged as an elite rim protector, especially for a bench big. He’s an impressive shot-blocker, but his ability to defend the basket without fouling is truly his most impressive trait.
On the other side of the ball, Kornet’s offensive impact has strayed away from the three-point line, and that has been for the betterment of his career.
Now, Kornet only works around the basket, shifting from dunker spot to dunker spot in order to space the floor for his ball-handlers. Add in elite screening angles and a nose for offensive rebounds, and Kornet should do wonders for De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle.
He's an absoultely perfect fit for the Spurs. This is a dream signing.