Celtics re-sign Luke Kornet

The Boston Celtics recently re-signed center Luke Kornet.

“Luke has been an integral part of our team over the past few years,” said Brad Stevens, President of Basketball Operations. “He is the ultimate teammate and his attitude and spirit have a contagious effect on our team. On the court, Luke had his best season as a Celtic and played a big role in helping us win. We are excited about the impact he’ll have moving forward.”

Kornet appeared in 63 games for the Celtics during the 2023-24 season, averaging 5.3 points, a career-high 4.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.0 blocks in 15.6 minutes per game. The seven-year veteran played in 13 playoff games during the Celtics’ 2024 NBA Championship run while averaging 3.0 points and 3.2 rebounds.

The Vanderbilt alumnus has appeared in 280 career NBA games (42 starts) and owns career averages of 5.0 points and 3.0 rebounds. Kornet will suit up for his fourth season with the Celtics after he was originally acquired on March 26, 2021.

Celtics re-sign Luke Kornet

The Boston Celtics have re-signed forward/center Luke Kornet.

“We are thrilled that Luke chose to come back,” said Celtics President of Basketball Operations, Brad Stevens. “Luke is a skilled big who can play off the roll or pop and is a good rim protector on defense. On top of that, he’s always added value as the consummate pro who puts team above self.”

Kornet, a 7’2” center/forward, appeared in 12 games for the Celtics during the 2021-22 season, averaging 2.2 points and 2.1 rebounds in 7.1 minutes per game while shooting 57.1 percent from the field. He also made appearances for the Cavaliers and the Bucks where he totaled four points and four rebounds over 18 minutes in three contests. Kornet re-joined the Celtics on February 11, 2022 for the remainder of the season after his stops in Cleveland and Milwaukee. He also appeared in 21 games for the Maine Celtics during the 2021-22 season averaging 13.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2.3 blocks in 27.3 minutes per game.

Boston Celtics sign Luke Kornet

The Boston Celtics have signed center Luke Kornet.

Kornet, 26, returns to Boston after being acquired by the team as part of a three-team deal with Chicago and Washington on March 25. He played in 18 games (two starts) with the Celtics last season, averaging 4.4 points on 47.3% shooting, 2.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.4 blocked shots. The Texas native scored in double figures four times in 2020-21, three of which came as a member of the Celtics.

In five NBA seasons with New York, Chicago, Boston, Cleveland, and Milwaukee, Kornet has produced 5.7 points on 40.3% shooting, 2.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.9 blocked shots, and 15.0 minutes in 136 games (35 starts).

Three-way trade sends Chandler Hutchison to Wizards, Troy Brown Jr. to Bulls, Moe Wagner to Celtics

The Washington Wizards announced today that they have acquired center Daniel Gafford and forward/guard Chandler Hutchison from the Chicago Bulls in a three-way trade that sends forward Troy Brown Jr. to Chicago and center Moe Wagner to the Boston Celtics.

The complete trade details include Boston acquiring Luke Kornet from Chicago, with Daniel Theis and Javonte Green going from Boston to Chicago.

“This trade will help us both in the short term over the second half of the season and in the long term with two young, athletic players who we can continue to develop,” said Wizards General Manager Tommy Sheppard. “Daniel brings rim protection and the ability to finish around the basket while Chandler brings toughness on the defensive end, all attributes that complement our current roster.”

Gafford (6-11, 246) has averaged 5.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting .697 from the field in 74 career games (18 starts) in two seasons with the Bulls. He is currently averaging 4.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks while shooting .690 from the field in 31 games (11 starts) this season. Gafford scored a season-high 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field against the Wizards on December 31.

Originally selected 38th overall by the Bulls in the 2019 NBA Draft, Gafford averaged 14.3 points and 7.4 rebounds during his two seasons at the University of Arkansas. He was named to the 2019 SEC All-Defensive Team and First Team All-SEC following his sophomore season at Arkansas.

Hutchison (6-7, 208) holds career averages of 5.8 points and 4.0 rebounds in 79 career games (24 starts) in three seasons with the Bulls. He has appeared in seven games this season. Hutchison averaged 7.8 points in 28 games for Chicago last season.

Originally selected in the first round (22nd overall) by the Bulls in the 2018 NBA Draft, Hutchison averaged 20.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.48 steals in 31 games as a senior at Boise State to earn Mountain West Player of the Year, All-Mountain West First Team and Mountain West All-Defensive Team honors. He was also named All-Mountain West First Team as a junior and finished his career ranked first in school history in double-doubles and 20/10 games.

“We thank Troy and Moe for their contributions on the court and their commitment to improving our community,” said Sheppard. “We appreciate their efforts and wish them the best as they continue their careers.”

Brown Jr. was originally selected by Washington with the 15th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. In three seasons with the Wizards, he averaged 7.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 142 games (32 starts). Wagner was acquired from the Lakers in a three-team trade involving the Pelicans on July 6, 2019. He appeared in 70 games (18 starts) with the Wizards over two seasons, posting averages of 8.2 points and 4.2 rebounds.

Knicks sign Luke Kornet

The New York Knicks have signed center Luke Kornet, who first joined the team as a two-way player last July and played for the Knicks and Westchester (G-League) last season.

“Luke had a very successful first year playing across Westchester and the Knicks, displaying impressive growth throughout the season,” said Scott Perry, General Manager. “Luke is a versatile player who can play inside and away from the basket. He brings a relentless work ethic and commitment to the team that fits with Coach Fizdale’s system and style.”

Kornet, 7-1, 250-pounds, appeared in 20 games for the Knicks (one start), averaging 6.7 points and 3.2 rebounds over 16.3 minutes. He recorded a season high 23 points in the season-finale on April 11 at Cleveland. He played in 36 games (35 starts) for Westchester (G-League), averaging 16.1 points and 6.2 rebounds over 32.4 minutes and was named to the 2017-18
All NBA G-League third team.

The 22-year old Lantana, TX-native, was one of two Knicks two-way players last season. He was originally signed by New York as an undrafted free-agent on July 3, 2017. He played collegiately for four seasons at Vanderbilt University.