Celtics Sign Big Man to $5.5 Million Deal in Free Agency to Replace Luke Kornet

The Boston Celtics have signed center Luka Garza to a two-year, $5.5 million deal.

The big man is likely going to replace the recently departed Luke Kornet, as he is signing with the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.

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Free agent center Luka Garza has agreed to a two-year, $5.5 million fully guaranteed deal with the Boston Celtics, sources tell ESPN. The Celtics negotiated the new deal with Garza's representatives Mark Bartelstein and Kieran Piller of @PrioritySports tonight. pic.twitter.com/d5x5HzGYIL
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2025

At 6-foot-10, Garza can provide more depth, and of course his height, to the Celtics' roster.

After the Minnesota Timberwolves declined his $2.35 million team option earlier this month, the writing was on the wall for the 26-year-old center to find a new home.

It has been hard to pinpoint Garza's value given he has never played more than 40 games in a season, but the potential is there given his build and perhaps finding a place in Boston's system.

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During the big man's rookie season with the Detroit Pistons, after being drafted with the No. 22 pick in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft, Garza put up 5.8 points per game on 45 percent shooting in 32 games. The 12.2 minutes per game would prove to be his most usage in a season over the couse of his career thus far.

After signing with the Timberwolves ahead of the 2022-23 campaign, Garza made 28 appearances, scoring 6.5 points per game on 54 percent shooting from the field.

His 2023-24 campaign saw his fewest appearances in his career to date, at just 25 games, averaging 4.0 points per game in just 4.9 minutes per contest. This past season saw Garza's scoring diminish to 3.5 points per game, getting 5.6 minutes of play across 39 appearances.

In Garza's last 10 games, however, he shot 58 percent from the field, but accrued just 3.8 minutes each game. The sample size for the big man from Washington, D.C. is slight, but especially with a Celtics team that is in need of height, perhaps this next chapter of Garza's career will be his most productive.

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