In the weeks ahead, the LA Clippers’ front office should be monitoring every move completed by the Boston Celtics. This comes down to who is made available, the team options that are declined, and even who is drafted into the iconic TD Garden.
Each of the facets will demonstrate to Lawrence Frank the type of package he must put together or the specific amount of money that must be set aside to acquire a top-tier talent on their roster.
Beyond their core of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard, the Celtics have a ridiculous amount of role players who would be averaging significantly better numbers on any other team in the NBA.
But, because they play for Boston, many made the individual sacrifice to fight for a championship, and they were successful in doing so in the 2024 NBA Finals. This marked their 18th franchise title.
One of the players who was forced to play minimal minutes but is still a highly valued role player is the Celtics’ backup big man, Luke Kornet. He is exceptionally talented and durable and, of course, has top-tier experience through a ring as well as stints on teams such as the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Milwaukee Bucks.
However, the Celtics may lose Kornet this summer due to their heavy tax bill, and the Clippers could take advantage by agreeing to pay him a portion of the mid-level exception.
Luke Kornet is the backup big man the LA Clippers should pursue this summer
Although Luke Kornet could receive the short end of the stick with the Boston Celtics this summer, it could ultimately mean obtaining the best of both worlds through a long-term salary while still fighting for the promised land.
The LA Clippers are in urgent need of a backup center, and this season, Kornet proved Lawrence Frank should look at him, as he posted 6.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks, shooting 66.8% from the floor in not even 19 minutes per contest.
Regardless of who was unavailable, Kornet played with the same mindset for all 73 of his games played and remained ready for action each time head coach Joe Mazzulla gave him the nod to check-in.
Kornet deserves more than the one-year, $2.8 million deal he was granted last summer, and on the flip side, the Clippers can double that amount over the course of the next two seasons.