The San Antonio Spurs wasted no time in signing center Luke Kornet. The resulting deal took them less than 90 minutes to hash out once the NBA’s free agency negotiation window opened. Kornet, a former second-round pick and current replacement-level player, brings exceptional shot-blocking and floor-stretching offensive capabilities to the Spurs. During the last two NCAA seasons he’s played in he’s posted a jaw-dropping 68.1% field goal percentage.
Late on Monday night, the Spurs and Kornet’s agent, Max Wiepking of Gersh Sports, hammered out a deal. Together, they accomplished the impossible! The Spurs are already in the process of making an important signing. They’re looking to add more talent around their franchise player in the making Victor Wembanyama. Kornet’s addition provides helpful depth to the center position. It allows the team flexibility to experiment with double-big look lineups, with Wembanyama at power forward.
Further down the floor, during his time with the Boston Celtics, Kornet flourished as his team’s primary rim runner. He showed his jaw-dropping talent to complete plays at the rim. Beyond the stats, his presence on the court was a game changer. When he was on the court, Boston drastically improved their opponents by a whopping 14.9 points per 100 possessions. Known for his defensive prowess, Kornet has established himself as a strong rim protector, contributing to his team’s overall defensive strategy.
Kornet earned a distinct reputation for his unorthodox, but effective, defensive style, lovingly referred to as the “Kornet Kontest.” This term refers to his tendency to leap and contest shots from 3-point shooters, regardless of their distance from him. He played with 3-pointers for most of his career. Now, he’s honing in on developing himself into a truly intimidating force down low.
At only 29 years old, Kornet adds a wonderful combination of experience and skill to the point. For the Spurs, he represents an important piece in their efforts to increase competitiveness across the league. Specific to matchups, he does his best work defensively when physically outmatched. Simultaneously, he provides an easy-to-connect-to, dynamic bucket-getter, which makes him a perfect compliment to Wembanyama.
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