The Boston Celtics have been at the offseason drawing board ever since they were booted from the NBA playoffs by the New York Knicks. Between an unsustainable payroll and Jayson Tatum's uncertain outlook following his Achilles tear, there's a good chance that Celtics fans will see plenty of changes across the roster this summer.
When it comes to potential offseason changes, the Celtics have a handful of unrestricted free agents they must address. While some might already be planning to look for work elsewhere, one pending UFA has made it clear he wants to return to Boston for at least one more season.
Luke Kornet Clearly Wants to Re-Sign With Celtics After Being Spotted at Triple-A Worcester Game
While some Celtics may have left town as soon as the team's postseason run ended, that wasn't the case for Luka Kornet. The upcoming UFA center was recently taking in a Triple-A Worcester game with his family, sparking rumors that he's looking to stay in Beantown.
"Who knew Luke Kornet was a cat guy?" the WooSox account posted on Wednesday. "Thanks for stopping by the park, Luke!"
The fact that Kornet was also rocking a Boston Bruins beanie only further stoked the embers regarding a potential re-signing. The 7-foot-2 rebounder clearly has no issues with representing his local pride, leaving time to tell if he'll continue doing so in town or from afar.
It's hard to imagine the Celtics' frontcourt without Kornet, who's been with the organization since starting with Maine in the NBA G League back in January 2022. He's since made 205 regular-season appearances (23 starts) in a C's jersey, averaging 5.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 0.9 blocks, and a 67.7% field-goal percentage while playing 15.4 minutes per night.
Kornet has also made 43 playoff appearances with the Celtics, which includes when he averaged 3.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and a 66.7 FG% during last year's championship run. He proved he could still step up when it counts with a seven-block performance against the Knicks in Game 5, which is the kind of outing that should draw him offseason attention, whether from the Celtics or another team.
At the end of the day, Kornet has earned head coach Joe Mazzulla's trust over the years, meaning it's likely the Celtics will try to re-sign the ex-Vanderbilt product this offseason. While other teams might offer him more money than Boston, Kornet might be willing to take a pay cut to stay in town if he doesn't want to uproot his wife and kids, especially as his career winds down.
After repping his Boston pride in Worcester, the Celtics must make a legitimate effort to re-sign Kornet before NBA free agency begins on Sunday, July 6.