Luke Kornet Nearing Return As San Antonio Spurs Face Road Test in Chicago

Luke Kornet's postgame snark has been sorely missed since he debuted on the San Antonio Spurs' injury report.

An ankle sprain was the diagnosis — a few games rest, and he should be good as new — but call it ironic timing, as the 7-footer stands to be the last of his team's "preseason bumps and bruises."

Kornet is now a game-time decision for Monday's contest against the Chicago Bulls; the Spurs are citing both a left ankle and right shoulder sprain.

"We've competed," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said back during the preseason. "We've asked a lot of them physically."

Kornet appeared in two games to begin the regular season before retreating to recovery. In that span, he earned a nickname with Victor Wembanyama and a place among other Spurs fan favorites. But his quest to becoming a third of the player Tim Duncan was has temporarily been halted.

Right now, the Spurs only have the "French" piece of "French Vanilla."

"Luke is an experienced player," Victor Wembanyama said of his counterpart. "One of the best shot blockers in the league. And he's a great screener ... I'm excited to spend a lot of minutes with him."

Oct 24, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; San Antonio Spurs center/forward Luke Kornet (7) dunks the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half at Smoothie King Center. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Over the offseason, San Antonio set out to address its underwhelming frontcourt depth. Not counting a small Jeremy Sochan, only Charles Bassey and Bismack Biyombo could play backup center when Wembanyama wasn't on the court.

Bassey struggled mightily with availability, and Biyombo hasn't played over 50 games since 2022-23, making Kornet and Kelly Olynyk desirable alternatives. The Spurs hoped the latter, especially, would play out better than a partnership between Wembanyama and now-Bulls center Zach Collins did.

"I'm sure if I was brought back to two years ago, it would go much better," Wembanyama said, showing Collins grace.

In seven appearances across the preseason, regular season, Kornet proved a nightly double-double was attainable. His best performance came in Game 2 during a 14-point, 12-rebound outing that secured San Antonio's 2-0 start.

The 30-year-old played well in the pick-and-roll with Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle, and gave opposing guards an unnerving sight near the rim if they made it past Wembanyama at all. But the Frenchman lends Kornet a defensive hand beyond the obvious.

"I'm actually able to be a little more aggressive on the perimeter,” Kornet said. “It's just good knowing that you're kind of in tandem, in that respect.”

Oct 8, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) takes a shot over San Antonio Spurs forward Luke Kornet (7) during the first half at Kaseya Center. | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

In the games Kornet has missed, the Spurs have struggled on the boards. Coupled with Harper’s absence, mundanity befell the young team’s offense, leaving them searching for answers and workarounds.

The Spurs expect a buffer period. Wembanyama will have a continued education on Kornet's tendencies the same way Kornet will learn to play with a weapon like Wembanyama.

Johnson, echoing what he laid out on Media Day, will have to conjure a vision the duo can execute.

“We’ll continue to understand some of the advantages that group can bring,” the coach said of his new center corps. "I think it will still take time.”

Kornet won't know where he stands regarding his Duncan aspirations for quite awhile. But San Antonio will find out quickly the potential of a center duo aptly called "French Vanilla."

“With Luke, it’s not even optimism," Wembanyama said. "It’s necessity ... we will need to have some of the best rim protection in the league. The best.”

Spurs at Bulls Injury Report

During a two-game home stand in which the Spurs got back on track following a pair of losses to the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers, Wembanyama looked slightly more comfortable on offense.

San Antonio welcomed back De'Aaron Fox from an offseason hamstring injury against the New Orleans Pelicans — the second of such games — and now prepares for the next stretch of its season with only Dylan Harper missing from the fold, assuming a Monday night return for Kornet.

The hosting Chicago Bulls will be down a couple, however.

Full Injury Report for #Spurs @ Bulls:

SAS:
Dylan Harper (calf) - OUT
Harrison Ingram (two-way) - OUT
Riley Minix (two-way) - OUT
-
Luke Kornet (ankle, shoulder) - QUESTIONABLE

CHI:
Zach Collins (wrist) - OUT
Coby White (calf) - OUT
-
Josh Giddey (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
-…
— Matt Guzman (@mattgzman) November 10, 2025

Zach Collins, who suffered a fractured left wrist during the preseason, is still recovering from his October surgery, and Coby White, who's yet to make his season debut, remains sidelined with a calf strain suffered over the offseason.

Rounding out Chicago's availability report is Josh Giddey, nursing a right ankle injury, and Patrick Williams, who suffered a finger sprain. That duo is QUESTIONABLE and PROBABLE, respectively.

Tipoff between the San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls from United Center is set for 7 p.m. Central Monday night.