{"id":140710,"date":"2025-05-21T19:23:06","date_gmt":"2025-05-21T23:23:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=140710"},"modified":"2025-05-21T19:23:06","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T23:23:06","slug":"luke-kornet-warriors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/05\/21\/luke-kornet-warriors\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA Insider Believes the Warriors Should Target Celtics&#8217; Big Man"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/k\/kornelu01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-05-21_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Luke Kornet<\/a> is coming off a career season with the Boston Celtics. The 7-foot-2 big man averaged 6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and a block per game while shooting 66.8 percent from the field. He was the hero of<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/05\/15\/should-the-celtics-start-luke-kornet\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"> Game 5 against the Knicks<\/a>, posting a stellar line of 10 points, nine rebounds, and seven blocks. Kornet is set to <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/04\/07\/celtics-luke-kornet-decision\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">become a free agent this offseason<\/a> and will be a hot commodity on the open market. Recently, Marc Spears of <em>ESPN<\/em> said the Golden State Warriors should target Kornet. Let&#8217;s dive into this possibility.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\u201cThe Warriors\u2019 fix is easier than you think. They don\u2019t have the financial capital to sign a big name, but the guy I see is Luke Kornet from the Celtics.\u201d &#8211;<a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarcJSpears?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@MarcJSpears<\/a> tells us on <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KNBR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@KNBR<\/a> that what the Warriors miss the most right now is the Andrew Bogut presence \/ shot blocking<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Greg Silver (@greg0silver) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/greg0silver\/status\/1924913593696563459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">May 20, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2>NBA Insider Believes the Warriors Should Target Celtics&#8217; Big Man Luke Kornet<\/h2>\n<h3>Losing Kornet Would be Devastating for the Celtics<\/h3>\n<p>This season, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/01\/29\/luke-kornet-celtics-value\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Kornet was an integral part<\/a> of Boston&#8217;s success on both ends of the floor. Defensively, he protects the rim at a high level with his knack for shot blocking and rebounding. Offensively, Kornet is an efficient source of scoring as a lob threat. Moreover, Kornet&#8217;s screening opens up the game for his teammates. He played his role to perfection and elevated the Celtics on both ends of the floor this season. Kornet&#8217;s +14.9<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/advanced?CF=MIN*GE*15&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;dir=-1&amp;sort=NET_RATING\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> net rating<\/a> was among the best in the league, showcasing his incredible value.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s unclear if <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/p\/porzikr01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-05-21_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kristaps Porzi\u0146\u0123is<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/horfoal01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-05-21_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Al Horford<\/a> will be <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/05\/17\/celtics-fans-say-goodbye-these-3-players\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">back with the Celtics next season<\/a>. As a result, Kornet could be in line for a bigger role, and re-signing him should be a priority. However, the Celtics are facing an unprecedented luxury tax payment and can&#8217;t afford to pay Kornet a ton of money. Given this, some team could easily outbid the Celtics. Despite his importance to the team and likely desire to stay in Boston, it&#8217;s possible Kornet finds a new home in free agency. Losing Kornet would greatly hurt the Celtics next year.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_140721\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-140721\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/05\/USATSI_25888688_168404824_lowres-1.jpg\" target=\"_self\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-140721\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/05\/USATSI_25888688_168404824_lowres-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/05\/USATSI_25888688_168404824_lowres-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/05\/USATSI_25888688_168404824_lowres-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/05\/USATSI_25888688_168404824_lowres-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/05\/USATSI_25888688_168404824_lowres-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/05\/USATSI_25888688_168404824_lowres-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/05\/USATSI_25888688_168404824_lowres-1-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/05\/USATSI_25888688_168404824_lowres-1-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-140721\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Apr 9, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Boston Celtics center Luke Kornet (40) dunks during the first quarter against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Kornet Would be an Ideal Fit for the Warriors<\/h3>\n<p>The Warriors turned their season around and made the playoffs after trading for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/butleji01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-05-21_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jimmy Butler<\/a>. They lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Minnesota Timberwolves after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/curryst01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-05-21_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stephen Curry<\/a> went down with an injury. Even if Curry had stayed healthy, the Warriors wouldn&#8217;t have won a title, they had clear roster flaws, most notably a lack of frontcourt size. Kornet would fill this need and give the Warriors a quality center. Additionally, Kornet is used to playing in a similar system and would thrive with the Warriors. Kornet would provide high-level rim protection and give the Warriors a source of instant offense at the rim. Signing Kornet would allow them to match up better with other teams in the West.<\/p>\n<p>The Warriors have the 16th most <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotrac.com\/nba\/cap\/_\/year\/2025\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">projected cap space<\/a> this summer, according to Spotrac. If they clear even more cap space, they could make a highly intriguing offer for Kornet. While he&#8217;s not a star, Kornet is a high-impact player who could make a significant difference for the Warriors. Spears&#8217; suggestion for the Warriors is logical, given the Warriors&#8217; need for a big man and Kornet&#8217;s two-way value. Only time will tell if the Warriors will pursue Kornet, but the fit is obvious.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Featured image: \u00a9 Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Luke Kornet is coming off a career season with the Boston Celtics. The 7-foot-2 big man averaged 6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and a block per game while shooting 66.8 percent from the field. He was the hero of Game 5 against the Knicks, posting a stellar line of 10 points, nine rebounds, and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4779,"featured_media":140722,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,5,25,62,3],"tags":[50219,1776],"class_list":["post-140710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-celtics","category-warriors","category-nba","category-news","tag-2025-nba-free-agents","tag-luke-kornet"],"modified_by":"Eamon Cassels, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140710","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4779"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=140710"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140710\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":140723,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140710\/revisions\/140723"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/140722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=140710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=140710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=140710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}