Welcome to Pounding the Rock’s 2025-26 participant opinions! The sequence will take a look at the gamers who completed the season with the San Antonio Spurs on assured contracts and who performed consequential minutes and/or an important function (so no two-way gamers as a result of we hardly noticed them this 12 months, no gamers who had been traded away, and not one of the deep bench facilities, since they had been each irrelevant and are actually all gone).
2025-26 stats: 68 video games, 21 MPG, 6.5 factors, 6.1 rebounds, 1 block, 64.3 FG%
Contract Standing: 3 years, $29.7 million remaining (workforce choice for 2028-29)
Following the 2024-25 season, the Spurs knew their largest weak spot was measurement and manufacturing behind Victor Wembaynama. After buying and selling Zach Collins as a part of the De’Aaron Fox commerce, shedding Charles Bassey to one more knee damage and at last Wemby to deep vein thrombosis, they had been left scrambling for measurement, ensuing within the signing of Bismack Biyombo and greater than sufficient small ball. It was fantastic for the reason that postseason grew to become a far attain with out Wemby (though to the remaining gamers’ credit score, they by no means stopped attempting), however the Spurs must get higher at backup middle in the event that they needed to achieve new heights this season.
They did simply that with the under-the-radar signing of Luke Kornet — a veteran, championship-winning middle from the Boston Celtics — on a team-friendly deal. Not a lot was fabricated from it on the time, however it was quickly seen as top-of-the-line pick-ups of free company. Not solely was the Spurs’ protection drastically improved total, however there was a lot much less drop-off when Wemby left the court docket in comparison with earlier seasons thanks partly to Kornet’s measurement and underrated (if unspectacular) rim safety. Gamers who thought that they had a free lane to the basket as soon as Wemby left the court docket rapidly discovered in any other case. (It might have been much less daunting, however definitely not free.)
Kornet particularly acquired to shine early within the season, with Wemby lacking 12 straight video games between November and December with a calf pressure, adopted by 6 coming off then bench on a minutes restriction, leading to Kornet beginning for 17 of 18 video games (he missed one among his personal). In these video games, the Spurs went 15-2 with Kornet’s numbers remaining constant on a per-minute foundation with out a lot drop-off as a workforce. One in every of his greatest performances of the season got here in that time-frame, with a 20-12 double-double in a win in Washington, and naturally there was his greatest play of the common season: a game-winning, buzzer-beating block of Franz Wagner in Orlando.
He continued to be regular and productive even again in a bench function for the remainder of the common season, together with his major weak spot being availability (he missed 14 video games with numerous illnesses, fortuitously with out an excessive amount of overlap with Wemby). Nevertheless, the playoffs had been one other story, as he (and seemingly each different bench participant not named Dylan Harper) noticed his manufacturing plummet because the power of opponent rose, possible skewing his last grade right here a bit.
After three straight video games scorning in double figures and posting a constructive plus-minus to open the playoffs in opposition to Portland, his highest scoring sport the remainder of the best way was 7 factors in a Sport 5 loss to Minnesota (the Wemby ejection sport), and the one time he posted a constructive plus-minus in a non-blowout sport was Sport 7 in opposition to the Thunder, however what a giant sport it was. Although it wasn’t an enormous night time statistically for Kornet, he offered maybe their most necessary play of the postseason: a chase-down block of Isaiah Hartenstein within the fourth quarter that sucked the life out of the Thunder as they made a final ditch effort to come back again whereas Wemby sat with foul hassle.
It’s a play that helped the Spurs win the Western Convention Finals and can go down as one among their greatest postseason blocks ever, etching Kornet into Spurs playoff lore. Sadly, that momentum didn’t carry over to the Finals — for Kornet or the Spurs.
Kornet will possible play the identical function subsequent season: backing up Wemby. There gained’t be a lot doubt within the common season, however the Spurs will want higher manufacturing from him (and once more, your complete bench) within the playoffs in the event that they hope to win a championship, particularly contemplating exhaustion appeared to play a giant function of their Finals loss, contemplating they led over 70% of the time. Additionally, it might not be quick, however Kornet will finally be trying over his shoulder with the Spurs going for measurement within the draft with Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed, the latter who’s wholesome and presumably NBA-ready if he will get harm or his manufacturing stumbles.
Kornet’s contract makes him a really tradable asset ought to the Spurs see the necessity to shake issues up at any level within the subsequent few seasons, however it additionally provides them a really productive bench participant on a budget in a time once they’ll have to begin making some powerful monetary choices. He was arguably one of the best backup middle within the league final season by offering precisely what they wanted: stable minutes to again up and even substitute Wemby at instances and not using a large drop in manufacturing. Anticipating way more from him is a stretch, however merely hoping it carries over into the playoffs doesn’t seem to be an excessive amount of to ask, particularly from a participant who has gained a championship enjoying the identical function earlier than.
14 factors, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks in Spherical 1, Sport 3 @ Portland Path Blazers
Whereas Kornet had video games with larger numbers early within the season when Wemby missed intensive time and extra memorable moments (such because the Wagner and Hartenstein blocks), this was by far his most necessary efficiency for the Spurs, with Wemby out with a concussion and the sequence tied 1-1 heading out on the street. Whereas Wemby solely ended up lacking one sport, Kornet’s stabilizing efficiency was definitely reassuring in an unsure time and helped put the Spurs again within the driver’s seat with a vital 120-108 win.
