Boston Celtics fans are ready for significant changes to their roster. Facing a huge cap crisis and limited resources, the Celtics will, unfortunately, have to part ways with several key contributors.
Understandably, the potential departures of Jrue Holiday, Sam Hauser, and Kristaps Porzingis are getting most of the attention. Boston will have to trade at least one of these players for cap savings, and the more of them they trade, the more financial flexibility they will gain going forward.
The pending free agents Luke Kornet and Al Horford, however, are going under the radar. The Celtics are already low on frontcourt depth, and losing two capable big men would be a major loss for Boston.
Luke Kornet Is as Good as Gone This Offseason
While there is a chance Horford comes back to Boston for the final stretch of his career, Kornet is as good as gone.
Kornet has blossomed into a capable rotation center and emerged as a fan favorite in Boston. Even though the Celtics would love to keep the 29-year-old around, the financial situation for the team makes that very challenging.
The Celtics are desperately trying to avoid going over the second apron next season and paying exorbitant taxes. Therefore, they need to fill the back end of their rotation with as many minimum contracts as possible.
Kornet, however, has played himself out of a veteran's minimum deal. He hasn't made much money (relatively for NBA standards, of course) in his career, playing almost exclusively on minimum contracts. After having a career season with the Celtics, it would be wise for him to cash in and get a big payday. If there is a multi-year deal that pays him above $5 million per year, which shouldn't be too hard for him after the season he just had, it's hard to imagine Kornet returning to Boston.