NBA Notebook: Luke Kornet started month of returns for former Celtics champions

Luke Kornet made his return to TD Garden with a beanie on alongside a nondescript long-sleeve shirt and jeans. He sat in the second row behind the basket after sneaking in several minutes into the Celtics-Raptors game earlier this month. During timeouts, he greeted former teammates and eventually moved up to row one at the behest of Wyc Grousbeck. 

That, as much as the eight points and eight rebounds he provided in his on-court appearance the following night, reflected the Kornet experience in Boston. A bit off-kilter yet effective. The Kornet Kontest, odd-ball humor and a unique sense of style marked his Celtics tenure as much if not more than his pick-and-roll prowess, rebounding and shot-blocking that all steadily improved across five years with the franchise. Even that tenure didn't progress in linear fashion. Kornet spent nearly an entire year in the G-League without an NBA contract in 2021-22 after Boston acquired him the previous season. After three successful years and a small role in the 2024 championship run, he earned a four-year contract with the Spurs this summer. 

"Ultimately, it was between San Antonio and Boston," Kornet said. "Honestly, just a lot of conversations with my wife and a lot of prayer and ... realization of where we are in life. It was very, very difficult to leave and a lot of relationships, but feeling like you're in a different part of life and being open to where God willed us and I think that's where it took us. You sort of accept it and take that step forward and keep figuring it out from there." 

Kornet's return marked the first in a run of them by former Celtics champions this month. Jrue Holiday and the Blazers visit on Monday before Kristaps Porziņģis' Hawks play at the Garden on Wednesday. Both have struggled immensely with injury and illness, respectively, to stay on the court with their new teams but have worked back over the past week or two toward appearances that'll draw an undoubtedly raucous reaction given their contributions to 2024. Yet despite the pessimistic outlook over their departures, alongside Al Horford signing with the Warriors and leaving uncertainty in the front court and Jayson Tatum's Achilles injury, the Celtics sit second in the East -- in a better position than all of their departing players aside from Kornet. 

They have found front-court options. Derrick White and Payton Pritchard stepped up as starters, and Brown emerged as a First Team All-NBA caliber force in place of the missing former players. 

"The energy and force and movement and chaos that they're playing with," Kornet said. "I feel like they got a lot of the younger wings playing and stuff, which is a lot of energy in that respect. I feel like everyone is picking up more of the load offensively. It's been cool to see and they play fast and free and aggressive and I think a lot more reacting live and stuff, obviously there are a lot of smart players here, so the ability to do that. Obviously, Jaylen's been incredible and everyone's assumed a larger role, Neemy's been awesome, so it's been cool to see everyone take that next step for themselves and the team." 

The Celtics made a concerted effort to retain Kornet, who earned $24 million guaranteed out of a $40.7 million deal that runs through his age-33 season. He also earned the opportunity to play a significant role alongside Victor Wembanyama, who he closed with against the Celtics earlier this month, replaced in the starting lineup during Wembanyama's absence with a calf injury and helped stagger back into the starting unit by starting in front of upon his return. Kornet's averaging 8.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists with 1.3 blocks per game on 66.7% shooting, continuing his strides from Boston while quickly becoming a fan favorite.

Spurs fans labeled Kornet and Wembanyama's combination as French Vanilla. Kornet's lightning-bolt, Usain Bolt celebration following his game-winning block against the Magic early this season became a t-shirt and a move that fans mimicked whenever he reached the free throw line through the following weeks at home. San Antonio reached the NBA Cup final, losing 124-113 in a game Kornet started and contributed 14 points to, a step in that young team's progression. A win over the Thunder to reach the championship marked one of three straight wins over the defending champions as the Spurs became their Kryptonite. In some respects, Kornet did the reverse Derrick White, who left San Antonio as the Spurs began rebuilding to solidify the emerging Celtics after developing through their system. White and others with the Celtics wish they could've retained him, but his family helped Kornet's acclimate to the area -- which was already close to where Kornet grew up. 

"(He's) a guy that doesn't care about anything but being a good teammate and does all the dirty work, all the things needed to be able to win and he's continued to do that even with San Antonio," White told Boston Sports Journal earlier this month. "Unbelievable person, unbelievable guy that you want to hang around and tried to make everyone laugh, everyone smile and have a good time. He's got all those funny celebrations, the Kornet Kontest and there were just so many things that he did." 

Kornet directly became a Celtic again in 2022 due to the White trade, which involved emptying multiple roster spots by sending Josh Richardson and Romeo Langford to San Antonio after sending Enes Freedom and Dennis Schröder to Houston. The Celtics had signed him to a G-League contract following his acquisition as a throw-in at the trade deadline when they salary-dumped Daniel Theis to Chicago. Moe Wagner and Kornet arrived together in the deal as a relative toss-up to stay with the team through the end of the year. Boston waived Wagner after a few strong showings by Kornet, who head coach Brad Stevens exclaimed at the time the team had long had an eye on. That comment was one of the first signals of what was happening behind the scenes late during the 2021 season, Danny Ainge deciding to retire from Boston's front office while ownership and Stevens agreed to a move to the president role where he would select a new coach. 

Yet Kornet didn't crack the NBA roster through that summer's shuffling. So he and other prospects like rookie Sam Hauser went to Maine, where Kornet transformed his game from the pick-and-pop role he played since his college days into a screening, rolling, passing and rebounding role player. His focus became freeing up teammates and after long putting pressure on his individual performance, he told BSJ in 2023, Kornet began playing for the love of the game again and for the collective success. 

"He played a lot differently than I remembered because he was coming off an injury," Hauser told BSJ this month. "I played him in college one time and he was a sniper. I think his injury changed his game a little bit and (he) had to adjust to be more of a screener, roller, finisher at the rim, shot-blocker, that type of stuff he was probably pretty good at it before, but I think he had to just shift things and then obviously to play in Boston that's kind of what they need the most." 

"You could tell throughout the G-League year he was figuring one, his body out again, and then two ... how I can best impact not only our G-League team, but also if I wanna get a call back up to the NBA, how could I be most effective? And I think he came to terms with that and obviously starred in his role.” 

The Celtics signed Kornet and Hauser to NBA contracts at the same time and they rode out the NBA Finals run, scrimmaging in the morning, practicing, where Kornet filled in as Giannis Antetokounmpo during the Bucks series and preparing for roles next season where they'd become rotation players under interim coach Joe Mazzulla. Holiday, Porziņģis and Horford came to Boston as bona fide stars. Kornet joined the roster after filling in for Milwaukee and Cleveland on COVID-related hardship exemption deals, making it all the more unlikely he would emerge as a cult hero, consistent contributor, champion and eventual star in his role. Tatum and Kornet combined as one of the most efficient pick-and-roll combinations last regular season. His tribute mostly featured his off-court antics. 

When asked to share some Kornet memories in the locker room after a game this month, he playfully frowned and remembered Kornet's satirical hit piece that Kornet wrote and recorded to advocate for himself over White as NBC Sports Boston's Tommy Award winner. White grinned and joked that he would handle the Celtics' video tribute as revenge. 

Instead, during the first quarter of Celtics-Spurs earlier this month, a montage of Kornet's jokes and interviews played while the crowd roared. The cheers intensified when the highlights of Kornet in the Celtics' championship parade played before play resumed. And when it did, Neemias Queta, who credited Kornet for his own growth, gave him fits in their head-to-head matchup. Luka Garza thrived off the bench. The Celtics and Spurs played down to the wire at a level reminiscent of a Finals game, and only 18 months following the confetti falling at TD Garden, Boston looked like a group that's already moved on from that era and reshaped themselves in a new one. 

Mazzulla, ever the one to move on and refuse to comment on former players, simply stated before the game that he enjoyed attending church on the road with Kornet during his time here. 

"It was pretty celebration-heavy, which was appropriate," Kornet said of the tribute. "Obviously, I had a lot of time in my life and creativity and having fun on the court, and honestly, it was just about sharing moments with the people on the bench and the team and stuff like that. It was a cool moment to have, I appreciate the fans and all that they've done and meant and having an ovation sounds pretty cool, and once again, just grateful for this time in life and place in life and when I first came here, I didn't think that's what I expected would be on the back side of it." 

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week...

Atlanta (22-25)/Washington (10-32): The Hawks traded Trae Young to the Wizards to end the most equally productive and frustrating career in Hawks franchise history with a whimper. Atlanta received veteran CJ McCollum and shooter Corey Kispert as they officially reshape their franchise around Jalen Johnson, while Washington takes a shot on Young to infuse play-making and life into a rebuilding team that draws sparse attendance. Young can become a free agent this summer or opt into a $49 million option for 2026-27. Atlanta will now receive more than $70 million in cap sheet relief between McCollum, Kristaps Porziņģis and Luke Kennard's expiring contracts. Young led the Hawks to the 2021 East Finals, but they went 221-272 in his appearances across eight seasons. He averaged 25.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 9.8 APG on 43.2% shooting (35.1% 3PT). Atlanta drafted Young with the No. 5 pick in 2018 after trading the rights to No. 3 selection Luka Dončić to Dallas for a future first round pick. Young (quad) is expected to play sparingly this season for Washington, who need to protect their first-round pick from New York by finishing with a top-eight pick. Atlanta has lost four straight following Young's departure. Young (MCL/quad) will remain out through the All-Star break in Washington. Porziņģis (Achilles) will miss at least another week and will not play in his return to Boston on Wednesday. 

Boston (28-17)/San Antonio (31-15): Victor Wembanyama closed out the Celtics off the bench with a late mid-ranger on a night where he scored 21 points with eight rebounds and three blocks. Jaylen Brown sounded off on the officials again after, directly calling them out for a terrible performance before receiving a $35,000 fine. He sat out the following game at Indiana with back spasms, where Baylor Scheierman received a spot start for the first time this season, finishing with two points in the loss. Joe Mazzulla, who before the game on the radio defended Brown, made his own statement after Pascal Siakam's game-winner, answering every question with illegal screen. Boston came back from a 19-point deficit in Miami last week, then throttled the Hawks, leading by as many as 43 points behind Sam Hauser's 10 threes. Brown will start in the All Star Game after receiving the most media votes among Eastern Conference players, joining Jalen Brunson, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Cade Cunningham and Tyrese Maxey. He missed a game-winning mid-ranger as Detroit beat Boston last Monday. The Celtics followed with wins over Indiana and Brooklyn, and a last-second loss in Chicago. Hugo González delivered the game-tying three from the corner in Brooklyn at the end of overtime. 

Brooklyn (12-32): Michael Scott mentioned on Celtics Daily that Boston could potentially receive two of Cam Thomas, Ziaire Williams and Day'Ron Sharpe in an Anfernee Simons salary dump if the Celtics attach draft pick compensation. Boston, going back to the offseason, has been unwilling to do so and Simons' recent surge gives him a compelling case to stay despite the financial implications of doing so. Brooklyn, according to Scotto, is unwilling to do a Simons deal with second-round sweeteners. Michael Porter Jr. stands as the Nets' most compelling deadline player as he continued his All-Star caliber season with a game-winner over the Bulls that capped a night with 26 points on 9-for-17 shooting. He's averaged 24.9 PPG on 47.7% shooting. 

Charlotte (18-28): Grant Williams (ACL) returned for his first game since Nov. 23, 2024 with nine points and eight rebounds in a win over the Jazz before playing the Clippers within single-digits and shocking the Lakers one night later. Williams shot 9-for-29 across the six games and scored only 28 points combined, but grabbed 3.2 rebounds per game in only 17.2 minutes as he slowly ramps up. Rookie Kon Knueppel broke the record for most threes made through 40 career games with 147, breaking Lauri Markkanen's record by 39 makes. The Hornets are only 3.5 games behind the Hawks for the 10th seed.

Chicago (23-22): Josh Giddey (hamstring) returned from an 11-game absence with 21 points, six rebounds and five assists on 7-for-13 shooting at Minnesota. He followed with four points and 10 assists as the only Bulls player who didn't score double-figures in a win over the Celtics on Saturday. Kevin Huerter delivered a go-ahead three from the corner with 1.0 second remaining to secure the win. Chicago has won 5-of-6 and are only 1.5 games behind Philadelphia for a spot above the play-in line in the East. Coby White, an impending free agent, has scored 20+ points in four straight games. 

Dallas (19-27): Anthony Davis will not undergo surgery on a left hand injury that could've cost him months, instead opting to return in roughly 6-8 weeks. The Mavericks had reportedly assessed trading Davis prior to February's trade deadline, though it's unclear how his new injury could impact that process. Without Davis, Dallas rattled off four wins over the Nets, Jazz, Knicks and Warriors over their last seven games behind Cooper Flagg's 17.6 PPG on 44.9% shooting in five appearances, three 20-point efforts from Naji Marshall and another three from Max Christie, who continues to thrive since his arrival from the Lakers. The Mavericks are nearing a decision on a location for a new downtown Dallas arena the team hopes to move into by 2031.  

Denver (31-15): Nikola Jokić earned a starting nod in the West for the All Star Game alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Steph Curry, Luka Dončić and Victor Wembanyama, who won the fan vote tiebreaker over Anthony Edwards. LeBron James, who's started 21 straight All Star Games since 2005, was not selected as a starter and will need the NBA's coaches to name him a reserve to maintain his overall streak. James, in that case, could potentially replace Jokić in case of injury should his absence continue through the all-star break. Jokić has missed 14 straight games where Denver won seven. Jamal Murray averaged 28.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG and 8.5 APG on 50% shooting (42.1% 3PT) over that stretch. Jokić (knee) can only miss three more games and remain eligible for postseason awards like MVP. David Adelman called the big man's recovery up-and-down so far and expected Jonas Valančiūnas back before Jokić, appearing on Thursday in Washington with 16 points in 22 minutes. Cam Johnson still hasn't advanced to contact four weeks into his recovery from a bone bruise. 

Detroit (33-11): Cade Cunningham struggled from the field, shooting 4-for-17 with 16 points, but served 14 assists and led the Pistons against extra defensive pressure late while Tobias Harris delivered the decisive threes and the final stop on Jaylen Brown in the Pistons' win over the Celtics last week. Detroit moved to 3-1 and earned a tiebreaker over the Celtics in their final meeting this season, which featured more hostilities between Brown and Isaiah Stewart, a no-call on an apparent flagrant foul by Baylor Scheierman that drew JB Bickerstaff's ire and a technical foul alongside the Pistons' defense generating nine steals and blocks. The Pistons lead the east by 5.5 games over Boston.  

Golden State (26-21): Jimmy Butler tore his right ACL in the third quarter after landing awkwardly in what became the Warriors' fourth straight win, ending his season in the late stages of his career and once again placing Steph Curry and Golden State's ability to contend in doubt. Steve Kerr mentioned De'Anthony Melton, Al Horford, Quinten Post and Will Richard as players who could contribute in Butler's absence, alongside Jonathan Kuminga, who demanded a trade on his first day of trade eligibility earlier this month. Prior to his demand, Kuminga sat out 13 straight games as a coaching decision. The Kings and Mavericks have been mentioned as potential Kuminga suitors, but Mike Dunleavy Jr. signaled that the Warriors are unwilling to grant his request. He left Thursday's game with a bone bruise in his left knee and will miss time. Kuminga has a $24.3 million team option for next season after agreeing to a two-year deal with the Warriors this summer. 

Houston (27-16): Steven Adams (ankle) will remain out indefinitely after exiting the Rockets' win over the Pelicans on Sunday with what Ime Udoka referred to as a Grade 3 injury. Udoka also clarified that Adams didn't break his ankle or suffer a high ankle sprain. Tari Eason (ankle) returned from a five-game absence for the Rockets' win over the Spurs last Tuesday, which Alperen Şengün led with 20 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists.

Indiana (10-34): Lost in Boston last Wednesday after holding the Celtics to 96 points last week at home and winning behind Pascal Siakam and Jay Huff's 41 points combined. Bennedict Mathurin (thumb) and Obi Toppin (foot) remained out while Aaron Nesmith and TJ McConnell struggled to provide an offensive punch for a team that's ranked last in offense for most of this season. They nonetheless shot 38.8% from three against the Celtics on 40.3 attempts through their previous meetings. 

"This team's battled all year with a big deficit of talent with a lot of guys hurt and stuff like that, but there have been no excuses," Rick Carlisle said this month. "The last couple of years, this team has committed to a standard for hard play and commitment to team and we haven't wavered from that."

Clippers (21-24): Sent home Kawhi Leonard (knee) from their previous road trip due to left knee irritation. Leonard appeared in 24 straight games after missing 10 straight earlier this year with an ankle sprain. He averaged 29.2 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 3.5 APG and 2.2 SPG while hitting 39.9% of his threes and 93.8% of his free throws through an All-Star caliber stretch prior, and returned early last week with 52 points combined on 18-for-36 shooting. LA remains tied for the 10th and final playoff spot in the West but won only 12 of those Leonard appearances before winning the two recent games he sat out. 

Lakers (27-17): LeBron James' agent Rich Paul caused a stir in Laker land by coming up with a trade idea that involved James teammate and budding star Austin Reaves for Grizzlies big Jaren Jackson Jr. Reaves didn't react to the idea, though his representatives reportedly approached Paul at halftime of the Lakers' game last Tuesday to discuss the situation. James separated himself from the story, saying Paul has the right to express himself independently on his podcast. JJ Redick said Reaves (calf) is expected to return sometime during the Lakers' ongoing road trip. Wednesday's game in Cleveland is emerging as that likely date. The Lakers have gone 8-7 in 15 games without him after beginning the season 19-10. 

Memphis (18-23): Reportedly entertaining trade offers for their star guard Ja Morant as they've lost 9-of-12 and fallen out the playoff mix in the West through another injury-riddled season. Shams Charania reported multiple teams will pursue Morant, with Memphis focused on young players and draft selections. He's under contract through 2027-28. The Trae Young deal set a low bar for returns, however, in exchange for offensively-focused, ball dominant point guards. Meanwhile, Morant has struggled immensely this season, shooting 40.7% from the field and 23.5% from three to rank among the least efficient players in the league. Unless the Grizzlies are so willing to end the Morant experience that they'll sell low, it's unlikely they'll secure a compelling offer before Feb. 5 unless desperation emerges elsewhere. Look out for the Bucks if they want to wow Giannis Antetokounmpo one more time. Several teams, the Celtics reportedly among them, have assessed Jaren Jackson Jr.'s availability, though he would undoubtedly command a massive offer by any suitor before he begins his five-year, $205 million extension next season at $49 million. The Pistons have also gauged interest. 

Milwaukee (18-26): Giannis Antetokounmpo was taking his Bucks future day-by-day with the team currently outside of the playoff picture in the East before he suffered another calf injury last week and will miss 4-6 weeks, potentially marking the end of his Bucks career. The expectation around the league ahead of the deadline remained that Antetokounmpo will remain in Milwaukee as the Bucks continue to refuse to entertain offers and operate with aggression toward improving the roster. That said, Brian Windhorst noted that the lack of other compelling stars available around the league for a manageable price has kept the league focused on whether or not that could change before Feb. 5. 

New Orleans (12-36): While reports around the Pelicans have indicated that they'll retain core players like Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones through the trade deadline, the Chicago Sun Times reported that New Orleans and the Bulls have at least discussed frameworks of a Williamson trade. They've also talked about young Pelicans center Yves Missi, who emerged as one of the league's top rookies last season before Derik Queen emerged this year as New Orleans' big man of the future. The Pelicans are reportedly focused on recovering their first round pick they dealt for Queen on draft night in June and moving off Jordan Poole's contract, trying to erase two potentially significant mistakes to begin Joe Dumars' tenure leading the Pelicans' basketball operations. 

New York (27-18): Facing a mid-season crisis so large that it's apparently placed Karl-Anthony Towns' future with the team into question ahead of potential extension talks this year. Towns averaged 17.9 points, 3.3 turnovers and 4.0 fouls per game on 43.7% shooting and 33.3% 3PT while New York lost 8-of-10, falling 1.5 games behind the Celtics into third in the East. The Knicks lost four straight games by double-digits to the Kings, Warriors, Suns and Mavericks. New York reportedly held a players-only meeting after the latest loss and reportedly haven't fully bought into their roles under new head coach Mike Brown, according to Ian Begley. The Knicks ranked 27th in offense, 26th in defense and 28th in net rating (-9.0) over those 10 games. According to Chris Mannix, however, they aren't expected to trade Towns, Mikal Bridges or even Mitchell Robinson before the deadline, and have responded with a 120-66 win in Brooklyn and stopped Tyrese Maxey's last-second three to avoid a late collapse against the 76ers at home. 

“We have to go out there with a sense of urgency,” Josh Hart said this week. “At this point, (more than) 40 games in, normally you don’t put too much into struggles, because there’s highs and lows, but at this point we have to play desperate, because that’s (where) we are right now.”

Oklahoma City (37-10): Jalen Williams (hamstring) will miss several weeks after exiting Saturday's win over the Heat during the second quarter with right thigh soreness. Williams had averaged 16.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG and 5.6 APG on 47% shooting (30% 3PT) since returning from offseason wrist surgery. They managed well without him in Cleveland on Monday, winning by 32 points behind 58 combined from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren. 

Phoenix (27-19): Jalen Green (hamstring) scored 12 points in 20 minutes in his first game since Nov. 8 after missing most of the start of his first Suns season with a strain. Green came off the bench behind Devin Booker and Collin Gillespie, who have driven the Suns above the playoff like under Jordan Ott through one of the most surprising starts by any NBA team this season. He joins Grayson Allen in the mix for Phoenix' depth minutes. The Suns are expected to stand pat at the deadline unless an amazing deal emerges, enjoying their start to the year and the chemistry that's emerged. On Friday, Green (hamstring) and Devin Booker (ankle) exited Friday's loss to the Hawks. Booker is expected to miss at least one week with his sprain. 

Portland (23-23): The Athletic profiled Deni Avdija emerging as the league's most unexpected likely All Star this season, and his role in the Blazers' future. The Blazers acquired Avdija for Malcolm Brogdon and multiple first round picks. Portland initially acquired Brogdon, Robert Williams III and draft capital from the Celtics for Jrue Holiday, who's now back with Portland following a long absence with a hamstring injury ahead of his return to Boston on Monday. He returned to the starting lineup for his last four appearances after two games off the bench, averaging 12.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 4.8 APG on 46/2% shooting 35.3% 3PT across the six games where the Blazers went 3-3. Williams III (knee) and Deni Avdija (back) are questionable on Monday.