Celtics Lose Free Agent Big to Spurs in $41 Million Blockbuster Deal

The San Antonio Spurs have signed Luke Kornet to a four-year, $41 million deal.

The former Boston Celtics center is coming off a six points and 5.3 rebounds per game average on 67 percent shooting from the field.

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Free agent center Luke Kornet has agreed to a four-year, $41 million deal with the San Antonio Spurs, sources tell ESPN. Key frontcourt addition for the Spurs, who negotiated a contract tonight with Kornet's agent Max Wiepking of Gersh Sports. pic.twitter.com/cLnXxWJ2cv
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2025

Kornet saw the most usage in the 2024-25 season compared to past seasons, making a career-high 73 appearances, featuring another career-high 18.5 minutes per game.

This move hurts for Celtics faithful, not just given the last three-plus seasons of service (plus 18 games during the 2020-21 campaign) but also since general manager Brad Stevens recently spoke on wanting to keep the big man.

“There is no question our priorities would be to bring Al [Horford] and Luke [Kornet] back.”

The kind of deal that Kornet gets by heading down to Texas is on par with what insider Steve Bulpett of heavy.com theorized earlier this month.

“Kornet’s clearly in for a payday,” said the source to Bulpett of Heavy. “Steven Adams got three years at $13 million per, and (Daniel) Gafford got $60 million over three years. The non-taxpayer mid-level exception is around 13 million; I’ll be surprised if Kornet doesn’t come in close to that."

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Kornet takes home a little over 10 million per year over the next four seasons, but it certainly feels like a doable contract for a Celtics team in a bit of a state of flux.

With Al Horford reportedly a 'top target' for the Golden State Warriors, the 2025-26 roster is already looking increasingly different to what fans saw this past season.

Additionally, with Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis being swapped to the Portland Trail Blazers and Atlanta Hawks, respectively, paired with Jayson Tatum missing most, if not all, of the 2025-26 campaign, the new-look Celtics are in a bit of a fluid stage this offseason.

While the deals are likely to keep coming in, and trade rumors still swirling, the only constant around the basketball world is that rosters will continue to change around the league.

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