Latest news with #Kornet
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Boston Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porziņģis bear no ill will towards Luke Kornet after his departure; Fans react
The Boston Celtics are undergoing some changes, as center Luke Kornet has left the team in free agency after 4 years. He has signed a four-year, $41 million deal with the San Antonio Spurs, which is the biggest contract of his career since he joined the league back in 2017. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now His now ex-teammate Jayson Tatum, though, has no ill will towards him and took to his socials to congratulate Kornet on his latest venture. Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porziņģis are delighted for their ex-teammate Luke Kornet, after four years with the Boston Celtics, has decided to part ways in free agency. He will be the newest addition to the San Antonio Spurs, who are looking to strengthen their team after a mediocre performance last season. The 7-foot-2 center has joined the Spurs on a four-year, $41 million deal, which is being hailed as his career-best contract. After one of his best-performing seasons in the league, 73 games played, and an average of 6.0 points and 5.3 rebounds, Kornet is in high spirits. Jayson Tatum, who has played with the big man for the last four years, seems pretty happy with this new turn of events in Kornet's career. He shared an Instagram story from ESPN of Kornet signing with the Spurs, captioning it with a simple, "Much deserved." While the center will be missed in the Celtics locker room, his former teammates are pretty elated with this new leap. Kristaps Porziņģis also took to his Instagram story to share his delight at Luke Kornet's recent signing. He captioned the story with, 'happy for this guy! one of the best teammates. well deserved, Luuukee.' Everyone is wishing him well on his next journey, and it's easy to see that Kornet was very loved by his teammates. Fans react to Luke Kornet leaving the Boston Celtics Alongside Jayson Tatum, Celtics director of player development Craig Luschenat also had a positive message to share on Kornet's departure from the team. He took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to write: 'Been an unbelievable 4 years together. Going to be missed, but very well deserved!!' Seems like everyone is happy with Luke Kornet's decision, even if he is not staying with the Celtics. With a positive attitude, he has always been a bright spot, and that shows in the fact that no one has any ill feelings towards him. Fans are already on social media reacting to this news. Kornet will definitely be missed, and fans of the ball game cannot wait to see what his journal with the San Antonio Spurs will look like.
Time of India
a day ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Jayson Tatum's two words say it all as Boston Celtics loses third core player in Luke Kornet
(Image Source - Getty Images) The Boston Celtics aren't easing into the offseason—they're being reshaped by it. First came Jrue Holiday. Then Kristaps Porziņģis. And now, with Luke Kornet off to San Antonio on a $41 million deal, Boston has lost its third championship piece. Add a sidelined Jayson Tatum and a thinning frontcourt, and it's clear: the Celtics are rebuilding on the fly. Tatum's quiet 'much deserved' says everything about where this team stands. Offseason tremors shake Boston Celtics' championship core again In a matter of weeks, the Boston Celtics have taken apart the very structure that supported their 2024 NBA title run. The first step was a cost-saving trade that sent Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers—cutting $72 million over two seasons and keeping the team clear of the second tax apron. Not long after, Kristaps Porziņģis was dealt in a three-team trade, widening the gap between Boston and their championship big man. Now, with Luke Kornet gone, their entitlement—and depth—takes another hit. Kornet, a five-season player with the Celtics who made key contributions, signed a four-year, $41 million contract with the San Antonio Spurs, marking a career-high payday. He wrapped up the 2024–25 season averaging 6.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in 18.6 minutes per game, and then shone in the playoffs during Game 5 against the Knicks, scoring 10 points, pulling down nine rebounds, and blocking seven shots off the bench. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Do you have a mouse? Play this for 1 minute and see why everyone is crazy about it. Play Game Undo In response, a recovering Tatum simply posted "much deserved" on his Instagram story — two words that encapsulated both celebration and closure. Boston's offseason has revolved around survival as much as it has around strategy. The Achilles injury that will keep Tatum out for the entire 2025–26 season led GM Brad Stevens to make some bold moves to cut costs. Trading Holiday and Porziņģis helped save around $200 million in salary and tax commitments. With Kornet now gone, the frontcourt choices are even more limited — Boston's roster now includes Neemias Queta, rookie Amari Williams, and the recently signed Luka Garza. Without Kornet's solid defense and locker-room energy, Boston is set to explore external avenues—whether through free agency or trades — to address gaps in a roster that's geared for the future, led by Tatum and Jaylen Brown. With Al Horford also expected to depart and cap space lingering just below the second apron, maintaining roster flexibility is the top goal for the summer. Also Read: Malik Beasley faces $2.25 million lawsuit from agency amid NBA gambling probe fallout In the 2024–25 regular season, the Celtics posted a remarkable 61–21 record, which is a notable high point. Still, their loss to the Knicks in the East semifinals—exacerbated by Tatum's injury—prompted a crucial reorganization of the championship team. Kornet leaving, although emotionally challenging, signifies the third departure from their championship foundation. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Brad Stevens deserving of fans' trust as Celtics play long game while other NBA teams wage free agency frenzy
Advertisement Garza has spent time with the Pistons and Timberwolves, worked himself into premium shape, and joined the Celtics on a guaranteed minimum deal. This is exactly the type of signing that will help the Celtics in the long term. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Stevens can be trusted to pluck unproven or obscure players from other rosters and cultivate them into contributors. The Celtics do not have the salary or desire to chase big names in free agency. Related : Advertisement Three years ago, most Celtics fans couldn't have named Derrick White if you spotted them 11 of his 12-letter name. Now he's D-White, defensive ace, Olympian, and The Celtics are going to take a step back, especially in salary and veteran talent, but the fascinating and perhaps enjoyable aspect is Stevens finding the next impactful contributors from the rosters of other clubs that overlooked them. That's a skill that not every general manager possesses. And inasmuch as Kornet will be missed and was a popular player, he can be replaced. The Celtics didn't lose The Celtics can and will move on from Kornet. They moved on from Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier, Robert Williams, Dennis Schroder, Marcus Morris, and others who either were expendable or too expensive. As for Horford, he would really have to be dedicated to Boston to stay here with a team that will be the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference instead of taking someone's full midlevel exception and going after a second championship. Related : Horford is a popular Celtic, could potentially have his number retired, especially if he's voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and gave the franchise seven good years. But he doesn't belong on a transitioning team and his numbers last season dipped, perhaps a sign of age. Advertisement He should have unquestionably been brought back if the Celtics were making another championship run, but without Tatum, Holiday, and Porzingis, it seems to be an ill fit, as likeable and galvanizing as Horford has been during his Boston tenure. As uncomfortable or unwanted as it may be for Celtics fans who celebrated a championship a 12½ months ago, major change is in store and the roster will receive an overhaul. Stevens is highly unlikely to move White or The goal for the Celtics to be a non-taxpaying team or perhaps in the first salary cap apron. Boston could have signed Kornet to a lucrative deal because it owned his Bird Rights —the right to sign him to an amount exceeding the salary cap — but it would have meant a return to the second apron unless Stevens decided to move recently acquired Anfernee Simons or Sam Hauser or Georges Niang for spare parts. Stevens already had to take a hit in the Porzingis deal, getting only Related : Advertisement The good news is the first apron allows the Celtics to sign a free agent to the taxpayer mid-level exception if they want to bring in another free agent. They could also wait for Stevens and his front office can detect quality players from other NBA rosters and overseas, although they are not likely to be household names just as White and Kornet weren't four years ago. The best move now for Celtics fans is to trust Stevens, study NBA rosters for potential intriguing targets and realize that this will be a meticulous retooling process until Tatum returns. Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Could the Boston Celtics lose big man Luke Kornet in free agency?
Could the Boston Celtics lose big man Luke Kornet in free agency? Per recent reports, the Celtics reserve center is getting interest from at least two other ball clubs. We have heard rumbles that both the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Clippers could try to steal away the Vanderbilt alum from Boston by throwing enough money at him that the Celtics cannot match the offer. The question is what that sort of offer might look like, because even with the team trying to stay under the second apron, the Celtics have several ways to further reduce salary in order to make some space to sign Kornet to the value the market sets for him without wrecking other team building goals. The hosts of the CLNS Media "How Bout Them Celtics!" podcast, Jack Simone and Sam LaFrance, took some time on a recent episode of their show to talk it over. Check it out below! If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network:
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
Celtics roster is coming into focus, but things could change when free agency begins
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up But with free agency set to open Monday at 6 p.m., plenty of retooling could still be imminent as the team assesses its short-term future without star forward Jayson Tatum, who likely will miss next season because of the he suffered last month. Advertisement 'I think the biggest thing is there clearly is a need to prioritize regaining our flexibility and maximizing, from an asset standpoint, what we can,' Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said Wednesday. 'But as far as whatever moves that those are a part of, they're all separate and hard and things that are going to be — you're just going to have to do your best to make sure you put yourself in the right positions.' Advertisement The Celtics guaranteed salaries sit $4.5 million below the second apron line, not factoring in unrestricted free agents Al Horford and Luke Kornet. The Celtics are also $15 million above the luxury tax line. Boston has paid luxury tax for the past three seasons, and when teams are above the tax line in three of four seasons they are hit with harsh penalties. A league source said the team could explore ways to dip below that threshold. The source said that while the Celtics believe in Simons, a career 38.1 percent 3-point shooter who averaged 19.3 points per game for the Trail Blazers last season, they could shed his $27.7 million expiring contract in a subsequent trade. But much could depend on the futures of Boston's two free agent big men. On Wednesday night, Stevens made his hopes clear. 'There is no question our priorities would be to bring Al and Luke back,' Stevens said. 'Those guys are huge parts of this organization. They're going to have, I'm sure, plenty of options all over the place, and that's well deserved. But I think that would be a priority. At the same time, I don't want to put pressure on them. It's their call, ultimately. But, yeah, we would love to have those guys back.' The Celtics have been able to negotiate with Horford and Kornet since last week. On Sunday, a league source said Horford was in the early stages of considering his path forward and was unlikely to decide immediately after free agency opens. Advertisement It's unclear if the 39-year-old, who has been working out at the Celtics' practice facility in recent weeks, could be dissuaded by Tatum's injury that will almost certainly take the Celtics out of title contention next year. After the Celtics were eliminated by the Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Horford mostly deflected questions about his future, saying he would discuss the situation with his family. There is believed to be extensive interest around the league in Kornet, the 7-foot-1 center who thrived in a limited role last season. Kornet, 29, averaged 11.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per 36 minutes, Kornet probably could have received more than that on the open market last year, but his loyalty to the Celtics, a team that took a chance on him when few others did, combined with the opportunity to pursue back-to-back championships, led him to re-sign. This year, though, his market figures to be considerably more robust, with teams such as the Clippers and Spurs reportedly having interest. 'You look at our roster right now today, we've got a lot of really good basketball players that have done a lot of good things in this league, and several of them have done a lot of good things here,' Stevens said. 'And so, we'll see how it all pans out and what it all looks like. I expect us to go out and compete and compete with all we've got to be the very best we can. And that will always be the case. We'll do our best to put the right group together, and, at the same time, regain some flexibility and maximize some assets in return.' Advertisement Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at
