2025-26 stats: 82 video games, 27.6 MPG, 11.1 factors, 5.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 38.1 3FG%, 6.2 3PA
Contract Standing: 3 years, $45 million remaining (no choices)
Julian Champagnie has overcome the percentages and contributed at a excessive stage all through his profession with the San Antonio Spurs. He was a diamond-in-the-rough success story, signing a full deal after being picked up off waivers and turning into a constant starter in 2023. Then, only a yr later in 2024, he was relegated to a bench function that carried over into the 2025-26 season. This yr was the season Champagnie firmly earned his method into San Antonio’s beginning 5 for a contending crew.
Champagnie has been a constant fill-in starter throughout his profession with the Spurs. When De’Aaron Fox went down with an damage early within the season, Champagnie was there. When Devin Vassell acquired damage in December, Champagnie stuffed in. Solely this time, the Spurs figured one thing out. Champagnie’s capturing made it a lot tougher for opposing groups to have their middle guard a smaller participant, leaving a wing to protect Victor Wembanyama. When Vassell returned from damage, the Spurs doubled down on this method, beginning Champagnie on the 4 to maximise their spacing round Wembanyama. The beginning 5 of Fox, Vassell, Champagnie, Wembanyama, and Stephon Citadel grew to become one of many Spurs’ most potent offensive lineups (125.4 internet score).
It was extra than simply Champagnie pulling down pictures that made this work. He needed to guard larger gamers and rebound for the lineup to succeed. Champagnie’s rebound charge jumped from 8.8 final season to 11.2 this yr, as he grew to become a troublesome rebounder, notably on the offensive glass. That helped the Spurs compete on the inside whereas they reaped the advantages of their newfound spacing. Champagnie was San Antonio’s finest three-point shooter, hitting 195 three-pointers this yr, probably the most threes in a single season in Spurs’ historical past.
That capturing carried over into the playoffs, the place Champagnie hit 39.6% of his threes. He hit quite a lot of large ones, too, together with 6 in Sport 7 of the Western Convention Finals in opposition to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder. Not solely did Champagnie shoot the ball nicely within the playoffs, however he confirmed a higher willingness to assault closeouts and get to the paint, as groups began to run him off the three-point line. He held his personal defensively in opposition to some powerful wings within the postseason. Nonetheless, he was uncovered within the Finals, because the Knicks deliberately tried to get him switched onto Jalen Brunson late in video games.
It’s onerous to search out many Spurs who have been at their finest within the Finals, so Champagnie shouldn’t get docked an excessive amount of for failing to protect Brunson (just about everybody failed to protect him this postseason). General, Champagnie was one of many Spurs’ most constant performers in each the common season and playoffs. Not solely did he play in actually each sport, however he performed nicely in most of them. San Antonio can at all times rely on him to hit threes, convey quite a lot of vitality on the glass, and maintain his personal defensively. He greater than earned his beginning spot this season, and ought to be in place to maintain it subsequent yr.
Champagnie’s stellar season earned him a 3-year, $45M contract extension with the Spurs. However simply as he locked himself in for the long run, San Antonio additionally signed his competitors. They acquired Tobias Harris on an analogous 2-year, $30M deal, giving the crew a do-it-all scoring ahead who has a bit extra measurement and power than Champagnie, one thing San Antonio wanted desperately within the postseason. He has a legit shot to begin for San Antonio subsequent yr. However ought to he routinely get the nod over Champagnie?
The Spurs have been an NBA Finals-level crew with Champagnie within the beginning lineup. Eradicating him for Harris to begin the 2026-27 season appears like a traditional case of it not being broke… and attempting to repair it. Champagnie doesn’t have the offensive bag that Harris has and is a a lot totally different defensive participant, however his motion capturing works very well with San Antonio’s guards’ and Wembanyama’s sport. If the Spurs are taking part in a crew with a much bigger, bruising ahead, they will go along with Harris to shut the sport. In the event that they want the capturing, Champagnie can shut. Finally, the added flexibility is sweet, however it does create questions on which participant is beginning extra video games.
Bringing Harris off the bench would additionally give the Spurs one other versatile offensive weapon to enhance a second unit that struggled to attain at instances final yr. With Dylan Harper, Harris, and Keldon Johnson, the Spurs would have one of many NBA’s finest benches. If Champagnie goes to the bench, he’d extra simply match into bench lineups which are already pretty forward-heavy, with Johnson and Carter Bryant anticipated to play significant minutes on the 3 and 4. He’d additionally present some wanted capturing alongside Harper-led lineups.
Champagnie can be a key a part of the Spurs’ rotation no matter whether or not he begins. He’ll proceed to present them constant deep capturing. Bettering his capturing on the transfer, perimeter protection, and talent to assault a closeout will take his sport to the following stage. After every part Champagnie has proven in his 4 seasons, it’s not unreasonable to assume he’ll just do that.
December 31 vs. New York Knicks: 36 factors, 6 rebounds, 11-17 3PFG
It was onerous to choose between Champagnie’s sizzling capturing in Sport 7 of the WCF or this explosion from the common season. Hitting 11 threes in a sport is extremely tough, particularly in opposition to the eventual NBA champs. This will not have been the head of the Spurs’ season, however it was definitely Champagnie’s most spectacular sport.
