San Antonio Spurs Free Agency Signing is Not Perfect Fix to Problems originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
If you’re active in San Antonio Spurs-based social media platforms, you might have seen posts suggesting that Luke Kornet is somehow the second coming of David Robinson and no one aside from the Spurs sees the vision.
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This is not a Kornet hit piece, although at the end of the day, he is a career backup who will continue to be simply a backup.
Last season, the best of his career, saw him post six points and 5.3 rebounds, and the Spurs are now committed to him through the next four seasons.
Granted, it’s a tradeable contract, but an eighth man is not exactly a massive asset to have. He is signed through his age-33 season, which means the Spurs should be able to avoid his decline, although that is not guaranteed.
Fans were rightfully thrilled for Victor Wembanyama to finally have a competent backup, but we’ve all heard this song. Zach Collins was supposed to be a stellar backup, as were Charles Bassey and Sandro Mamukelashvili.
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Brian Wright is a very good executive, and the Spurs got Kornet on a value, but keep in mind that he was the third-string center on the Boston Celtics behind Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis. The Silver and Black glasses make it hard for some fans to admit that there were better options on the market that the Spurs simply didn’t land, like Brook Lopez, Clint Capela, and even Kevon Looney.
While Kornet is certainly a capable backup big, it remains true that if Wembanyama goes down for an extended period, this team is simply not talented enough to compete.
Check out the Inside the Spurs home page for more news, analysis, and must-read articles.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared.