The Spurs spent two first-round picks on the center spot, but Luke Kornet’s role still looks as important as ever.
San Antonio used the No. 20 and No. 26 overall picks in the 2026 NBA Draft to land Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr., a move that points to the franchise trying to build depth behind Victor Wembanyama. Even with that investment, the offseason hasn’t changed the reality for 2026-27: Kornet is still a major piece.
Kornet, 31, signed a four-year, $40.7 million deal with the Spurs in 2025. The contract is frontloaded, which fits the team’s longer-term plan since he’ll be making less than $10 million per season beginning in 2027-28.
That gives San Antonio more flexibility later, whether that means moving him or using him in a reduced role. But for now, the Spurs still need him.
That need showed up clearly in the postseason. Kornet’s flaws were on display in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, when his minutes dropped from 21.0 per game in the regular season to 12.9 in the playoffs. In the Finals, he reached double-digit minutes in only two games.
Still, the Spurs are a team with championship expectations after falling in the NBA Finals, and getting back there means navigating the regular season the right way. Kornet matters in that process.
The biggest reason is simple: Wembanyama’s availability has not been steady enough to remove the need for another reliable big. He missed 36 games in 2024-25 and 18 in 2025-26. Until that changes, San Antonio needs a starting-level center who can hold things together during the grind of the season.
Kornet has already done that. Last season, he started 25 of his 68 games with the Spurs and averaged 25.8 minutes in those starts. San Antonio went 20-5 in those games.
One stretch in particular made the case. From Nov. 16 to Dec.
10, Wembanyama missed 12 straight games, and Kornet appeared in and started 11 of them. The Spurs went 9-2 in that span.
And even if the postseason exposed some limits, Kornet still brings real value in the areas that matter during the regular season. Basketball Index had him in the 94th percentile or better in rim protection, rim disruption, rim deterrence, post defense and screener rim defense.
He also ranked No. 3 in the NBA in screen assists per 75 possessions and grabbed 4.6 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes, which ranked No. 9 in the league.
That combination matters because Kornet can tilt a game without needing the ball in his hands. Quaintance and Reed may grow into better answers over time, but until they’re ready, Kornet remains the safer bet to give the Spurs what they need.
The draft picks may have changed the long-term picture at center. They haven’t changed Kornet’s importance just yet.
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