At 45-18, the Boston Celtics are all but guaranteed to finish with the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. With 19 games left in the regular season, they are eight games behind the top-seed Cleveland Cavaliers and five games ahead of the No. 3 seed, the New York Knicks.
This means that the Celtics are already looking ahead to the playoffs. Not too worried about their seeding, Boston's number one priority is to head to the postseason healthy and clicking.
That is why it behooves head coach Joe Mazzulla to rest some of his starters and veterans in the final stretch of the season. This includes any Celtic with age and injury concerns, like Al Horford, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis.
This provides an excellent opportunity for players further down the pecking order. Luke Kornet, whose contract expires at the end of the season, will have a chance to earn himself a big payday down the stretch and in the playoffs.
Kornet is in the midst of the best season of his career. He started in ten games and played in 55 games, averaging 5.2 points, 5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and one block in 17.8 minutes per game. He has shown significant improvement in his passing, finishing, and rim protection. With his size, offensive rebounding, and finishing inside, Kornet provides a different element for the Celtics.
In Kornet's minutes, the Celtics are 3.2 points per 100 possessions better than when he is off the floor, per Cleaning the Glass. He has played an important role for the Celtics, who dealt with various injuries and absences throughout the season.
If he continues his play for the rest of the season, Kornet may play himself out of Boston. The Celtics are projected to be the most expensive team in NBA history next season and will have to make tough financial decisions. They will presumably not be able to pay the veteran center the salary he will be looking for.
Kornet hasn't made too much money throughout his career and would be wise to cash out after his career year and prioritize guaranteed money in his new contract. An eight-figure annual salary for the 29-year-old next season shouldn't be ruled out.