Why under-the-radar Luke Kornet could be the Spurs’ ideal frontcourt partner for Victor Wembanyama

Overshadowed by flashier moves across the league, Luke Kornet’s deal with the San Antonio Spurs looks like one of the summer’s smartest. Kornet’s profile fits his new role: low-usage offense, high-IQ screening and decision-making and dependable rim protection. This will finally give Victor Wembanyama a quality backup and frontcourt partner who will raise San Antonio’s championship ceiling faster than expected.

Start with availability and role fit. Kornet gives coach Mitch Johnson a simple lever: 48 minutes of rim deterrence without sacrificing offensive flow. Next to Wembanyama in double-big looks, Kornet’s size (7-foot-2 and 250 pounds) and timing shrink the paint and let young guards (Stephon Castle, De'Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper) pressure the ball. When Wembanyama sits, the Spurs can keep their defensive shell intact while maintaining spacing via Kornet’s dribble-handoff game and short-roll playmaking he optimized with the Boston Celtics.

How Boston Celtics used Luke Kornet

The numbers back the premise. With the Celtics from 2021-25, Kornet routinely profiled as a net-rating outlier. His player efficiency rating (PER) last season was 19.6, with a plus/minus of +401 in 2024-25 and +585 in his career. He mirrored the impact of bigs such as Naz Reid (Minnesota Timberwolves) and Isaiah Hartenstein (Oklahoma City Thunder) while playing fewer minutes.

Think of Kornet, 30, as similar to New Orleans' Kevon Looney, Toronto's Jakob Poeltl and Memphis' Brandon Clarke. He brings elite screen-setting, rim contests and finishing but with cleaner decision-making. His career assist-to-turnover ratio stands out (2.8), and his career shooting efficiency (59%) remains elite at low usage, keeping mistakes to a minimum.

Kornet is one of the league’s best “screen tilters,” changing angles late to dislodge chasers and spring ballhandlers. He racks up screen assists per 75 possessions and punishes switches by sealing smaller defenders for second-chance points. Boston used him as a spacer without threes — parking him high to trigger dribble hand-offs, then flowing into angle pick-and-roll or blind-pick counters. He thrives on 45-degree cuts toward the basket, short-roll touch passes and quick kickouts — the micro-decisions that turn empty possessions into clean catch-and-shoots.

How Luke Kornet can help San Antonio Spurs

Now drop that toolkit into San Antonio’s context. Double-big units with Wembanyama up top and Kornet anchoring can toggle between drop, zone up the weak side and late-switch defensive coverages without hemorrhaging rebounds. On offense, the Spurs can run pistol sets leading to dribble handoffs with Kornet, give Wembanyama the ball at the free-throw line or use Kornet to start actions that get shooters open. His screens free ballhandlers to turn the corner, his rolls occupy the low man and his passing punishes tags. That’s how you manufacture advantages without a star dominating every touch.

Value matters, too. Kornet’s four-year, $40.7 million contract reflects an evolving market that prices impact per minute, not just box-score volume. For San Antonio, which opens Wednesday at Dallas, that’s cost-controlled competence at a premium position, plus lineup optionality without touching future flexibility. It also reduces the burden on Wembanyama.

Why it works is simple: Kornet doesn’t need touches to break up coverages, and he doesn’t break possessions trying to play outside his lane. Place that next to Wembanyama’s gravity, and the Spurs get dependable rim protection and a second unit that mirrors the starters’ identity. 

When the Spurs accelerate from rebuild to real championship stakes this season, don’t be surprised if the inflection point traces back to Kornet. Classic Spurs.