Luke Kornet doesn’t look like a player on borrowed time in San Antonio. By the way he performed, he did the job the Spurs signed him to do: give Victor Wembanyama a reliable backup and keep the defense from unraveling when Wemby sits. Even with some postseason rough patches, Kornet held up as the steady, disciplined option behind him.
But the math around him is getting tighter.
The Spurs are about $8 million under the first tax apron right now, which is workable for the moment. It may not stay that way for long, though.
Wembanyama’s extension starts next season, and the Slash Bros won’t be far behind. Kornet is entering the second year of a four-year, $41 million contract, and that deal includes a team option on the final season.
That kind of contract can become an easy lever for a front office looking for flexibility. Kornet’s future may end up depending less on what he does and more on how the younger bigs develop.
Tarris Reed Jr. is the biggest piece of that puzzle.
San Antonio didn’t just add a backup center in the draft this summer - it traded back into the first round to get one. Reed, selected 26th out of UConn, is viewed as the more NBA-ready of the Spurs’ rookie bigs. At 6-foot-10 and 260 pounds, he has the frame to handle bigger centers and the physicality to rebound right away.
That’s the kind of profile teams target when they’re planning for a handoff.
So Kornet’s timeline isn’t only tied to payroll. It’s tied to whether Reed is ready for real minutes sooner rather than later. If Reed proves himself quickly, San Antonio would have both the reason and the cover to move on from Kornet earlier than expected.
Jayden Quaintance complicates things further.
He’s expected to miss the start of the season, and the Spurs’ own expectation is that he won’t be back until sometime in 2027. That leaves the team’s “two young centers ready to take over” idea looking more like a one-rookie plan for now.
Even if Reed flashes immediately, the Spurs probably won’t be eager to part with Kornet until they have more than one healthy center behind Wembanyama. If Quaintance returns in January and closes the year healthy and productive, Kornet’s outlook in San Antonio gets a lot dimmer.
There’s also a strong argument for patience that has nothing to do with the cap sheet. The Spurs were still clearly worse defensively without Victor in the postseason, even with Kornet in the mix.
Solving that problem isn’t a luxury. It’s a need.
So the real thing to watch isn’t the box score. It’s how quickly Tarris Reed looks ready. That’s the piece that could tell the Spurs whether this really is Luke Kornet’s final season in San Antonio.
In Other News...
Stephon Castle Is Giving The Spurs A Second All-Star Dream
Stephon Castle has already pushed himself into the center of the Spurs future plans after two strong NBA seasons and a notable run in the 2026 playoffs. For a team that has been building around its young core, Castles rise has been one of the clearest signs that San Antonio may not have to wait long for another genuine centerpiece to emerge.
Richard Jefferson recently pointed to the next step as the one that could really change the conversation, suggesting Castle is positioned for a larger role and more confidence going forward. Coming off a second season in which he averaged 16.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 7.4 assists, Castle is no longer just a promising piece for the Spurs - he is starting to look like the kind of player who could force an All-Star debate as soon as next season. [Read more 🡒]
Tony Parker Just Put Real Pressure On Victor Wembanyama And Spurs
Victor Wembanyamas ascent already has the Spurs talking like a contender, and Tony Parker is adding a little more fuel to the expectations. The former San Antonio star recently backed Wembanyamas future in a big way, pointing to the young centers ability to anchor a championship run while the Spurs keep reshaping the roster around him with additions like DeAaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper and Tobias Harris.
That kind of confidence comes with a hefty standard attached, especially after Wembanyamas breakout season, when he put up eye-catching numbers across the board and helped push San Antonio all the way to the NBA Finals. Parker also sees the pressure extending beyond the Spurs, with Wembanyama positioned as the kind of player who could lead France to the top of the international game, which only raises the stakes for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama Gave Spurs Fans One More Reason To Be Excited And Concerned
Victor Wembanyama wrapped up his stint with the French national team by helping Team France to an 84-69 win over Team Sweden in the FIBA qualifiers, a performance that gave Spurs fans plenty to enjoy. The 7-foot-4 centerpiece was active on both ends, showing the kind of inside presence and overall influence that makes him such a unique force as he heads toward the upcoming NBA season.
There was still a familiar wrinkle attached to the outing, though, as his free throw shooting remains something to watch. For San Antonio, that blend of dominance and unfinished polish is part of the Wembanyama experience, and it leaves the next stage of his development feeling both encouraging and a little bit unresolved. [Read more 🡒]