Celtics playoff standout expected to depart for massive free agency raise

A key Boston Celtics playoff piece could be on the move when free agency tips off on Monday.

Per Steve Bulpett of Heavy, a "front office source" speculates that reserve center Luke Kornet could be ditching Boston for a raise in the neighborhood of a three-year, $39 million deal.

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report projects that Kornet could be a unique fit as a true backup five behind MVP Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic — who hasn't had a quality traditional center behind him for eons.

“Kornet may not be a starter, but he’s shown throughout the last few years that he’s a viable rotation center who can provide a defensive presence. That might be enough for a team to pay more than Boston can or will, especially with the Celtics facing massive repeater taxes, in a year when Tatum (Achilles) is unlikely to suit up,” Pincus notes of Boston's situation. “Could Denver seek a better backup to Nikola Jokić in Kornet with the TMLE?”

The taxpayer mid-level exception this season pays players a starting salary of $5.7 million annually.

In a scenario where Kornet departs the 2024 champs, Pincus predicts that soon-to-be-39-year-old backup big Al Horford could rejoin the Celtics at a decent sum, a bit below the $9.5 million he was earning last year. Boston has already traded away starting center Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks, after a second consecutive playoff no-show.

“Horford returns at a slight discount, perhaps $7-8 million,” Pincus predicted. “Boston may not be a title contender without Tatum, but the team may still compete in the East this season.”

Kornet showed plenty of promise this year while on a veteran's minimum deal in Boston. He enjoyed a career playoff performance in a 127-102 Game 5 win, during the Celtics' eventual six-game second round playoff series defeat to the New York Knicks. In 26 glorious minutes, the 7-foot-2 journeyman big scored 10 points, pulled down nine boards, and rejected a whopping seven shots.

Across 73 regular season contests for the 61-win Celtics last year, the Vanderbilt product averaged 6.0 points on 66.8% field goal shooting and 69.1% free throw shooting, 5.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 blocks — in a scant 18.6 minutes per.