Luke Kornet may go down as one of the Spurs' most important signings ever

In an offseason filled with marquee players on the trade and free agency market, Luke Kornet's name didn't really pop off the charts. It's hard to find real estate in the headlines when your name is mixed in with the likes of Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, and others.

But the Spurs got an absolute steal with their acquisition of Kornet. They signed him to a four-year, $40.7M deal, and the 7'1 big man is giving them an amazing return on investment through the season.

The Spurs needed a pick-me-up in Wemby's absence

One of the most devastating things a team can go through, especially a contender, is losing a star player for a stretch of games without the depth to make up for his absence. Sure, a backup will never fully replace that star player's production, but they can at least fill in massive gaps.

When Victor Wembanyama missed a stretch of games this season, the concern was that the Spurs would lose their bite on the interior. That was apparent last season, as they saw a massive dip in production in that area after his season-ending diagnosis of a blood clot.

Kornet was a godsend for them, keeping their strong interior presence alive. During Wembanyama's extended absence from mid-November to mid-December, San Antonio remained in the top ten in defensive rebounding, defensive rebounding percentage, and opponents' second-chance points.

Kornet is manning an elite bench unit

The Spurs' bench mob has been lethal all year long. Their reserves rank seventh in the league in points and lead the NBA in field goal percentage.

A lot of that is due to Kornet's ability to blend in perfectly with San Antonio's personnel. He's a pick-and-roll threat on the floor with Dylan Harper, collecting lobs at the rim like Infinity Stones. His understanding of screening angles and body positioning put Harper in great positions as a playmaker, giving him much-needed reps.

The Spurs don't sacrifice size when Wembanyama is subbed out. This is a common point of concern across the league. Look no further than Denver's non-Jokic minutes last season, where they struggled inside. It's a non-issue for San Antonio, as they maintain a strong interior attack on both ends when they deploy their second unit.

"I feel like, for me, the keys to my game, especially now, are just protecting the rim, which I feel [Victor and I] could be, obviously, really competent together," Kornet asserted during the offseason. "Especially when he's off the floor, being able to provide that."

He could not have been more spot-on. His impact is real, and he is a driving force behind the Spurs' surprising dominance out West.