Over the last two seasons, Luke Kornet had cemented himself as a core part of the Boston Celtics rotation. He found his niche as a non-shooting big man who excelled as a screener, short-roll creator and ball-containing defender.
Unfortunately for the Celtics, Kornet’s impressive performances priced him out of a return to the franchise this summer. Instead, he signed a four-year $40.7 million deal with the San Antonio Spurs.
In a recent episode of his “White Noise” podcast, Celtics guard Derrick White spoke glowingly of Kornet and shared his expectation that the Spurs fanbase will love him.
“Luke, man, I’m so happy for him,” White said. “Like nobody deserves it more than him. This is a guy who was on a two-way, was cut, Exhibit 10s. He could’ve had more money elsewhere, then came back with us, and for most of the year, he was carrying us…You hate to see him go, but you’re just so happy for him to get what he deserves, and San Antonio’s going to love him…
He’s a guy who knows how to play the game the right way. A guy you want to play with. He makes the game easy for you because he’s not asking for the ball on the block. He’s not asking for any stat. He’s not hunting stats. I think he’s going to have a fun time in San Antonio, and [I’m] definitely going to miss him.
Kornet played in 73 regular-season games for the Celtics last season, averaging 6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists. He shot 66.8% from the floor and was one of Joe Mazzulla’s most reliable players on a night-to-night basis. Losing Kornet will be a tough blow for Boston heading into the new season.
White Also Shares Message for Kristaps Porzingis
During the same podcast episode, White shared his thoughts on Boston losing Kristaps Porzingis. The championship-winning big man was sent to the Atlanta Hawks as the Celtics look to slash their lofty payroll.
“KP, he’s the best,” White said. “I’ll always remember him kissing my head after that layup, and I was like, ‘What are you doing, KP?’ But that’s just the type of guy that he is. He just wants the best for everybody, and he’s so giving and so caring; especially on the court. Just having so much fun. [He] just kind of does his own thing. And his swag, the things he does, you’re just like, ‘Yeah, only KP.'”
Losing both Kornet and Porzingis, along with Al Horford‘s likely departure in free agency, is proof of the talent drain the Celtics have endured this summer. The problem is, most of that drain has come in the front court, and at present, there’s been very few additions to that rotation.
Celtics Get Good News on Jayson Tatum Recovery
Celtics fans are heading into the 2025-26 season with low expectations. Brad Stevens is in the early stages of retooling the roster, aiming to get younger, more explosive, and build around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Of course, Tatum’s injury-induced absence, potentially for the entire season, is another reason Celtics fans are likely feeling pessimistic.
However, the fanbase recently received a positive update on the early stages of Tatum’s recovery from an Achilles tendon injury. According to an anonymous NBA scout, who spoke with Steve Bulpett of Heavy on Sports, Tatum was able to walk without a boot during a recent appearance at Chris Paul’s CP3 Elite Camp in Las Vegas.
“He was moving really well,” The scout said. “There might have been a slight limp or something, but the surprising thing to me is that he didn’t have a boot for any of it.I’m no doctor, but I’ve seen guys coming back from Achilles’ tears, and he looked way ahead.”
The scout continued.
“I was kind of shocked to see how well he was moving. I have no idea for what any of this means for when he can come back. I’m sure him and the Celtics’ medical people have their program set up, and they’ll make sure that he’s where he needs to be when he does get back. But he looks great right now. Of course, he didn’t do any running or even jogging, but he was in great shape and he had no trouble doing his part at the camp.”
It’s unlikely we see Tatum return next season. Boston won’t be contending for a championship and will likely be a late seed in the Eastern Conference. Therefore, it wouldn’t make much sense to bring him back early, especially with the additional risk it would pose for re-aggravating the issue.
Nevertheless, the positive update is certainly welcome. Celtics fans will undoubtedly continue to monitor his progress in the coming months.
