The San Antonio Spurs have a handful of players they could realistically move this offseason, but one mock trade in particular would hit two different notes in San Antonio: it would give Victor Wembanyama a familiar face and put Julian Champagnie alongside his twin.
Keldon Johnson sits at the center of the conversation. De’Aaron Fox, Johnson and Luke Kornet all qualify as trade fodder for the Spurs, but Johnson looks like the likeliest name to be dealt. He’s heading into the final year of his contract, and while he might seem like a Spur for life on one hand, the team also passed on extending him and instead let him move toward unrestricted free agency next summer.
Johnson’s résumé still carries weight. He’s coming off a Sixth Man of the Year award, he rebounds well for a wing, and he brings solid shooting and real downhill juice.
The concerns are there too - shaky ball-handling and uneven defense - which helps explain why his league-wide value is hard to pin down. Still, for a team trying to raise its floor, he’s the kind of player that makes sense.
Fadeaway World’s Fran Leiva put together a deal that would send Johnson to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Bilal Coulibaly and Justin Champagnie.
The fit in Washington is easy enough to see. The Wizards have Trae Young and Anthony Davis healthy, and first overall pick AJ Dybantsa is now in the mix.
That gives them a chance to jump from the bottom of the standings into the playoff picture as soon as this season. They also have a young supporting cast, and adding another proven veteran off the bench next to Khris Middleton would help.
On top of that, they have assets San Antonio would want.
For the Spurs, the appeal runs in a different direction. Coulibaly would bring youth and a cheaper contract, while Justin Champagnie would give the roster another solid rebounder and decent shooter with a style similar to his twin. Pairing the Champagnie brothers would be a nice touch for the family, and it’s easy to imagine Wembanyama liking the idea of bringing in Coulibaly, who plays with him on the French National Team.
Coulibaly, selected seventh overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, showed some two-way promise, but the three seasons since then have brought more frustration than progress. Health and development have both been issues. Justin Champagnie, meanwhile, could benefit from a better team context and might see his efficiency climb in San Antonio.
That part matters for a Spurs team that’s getting closer to extensions for Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. Cheap players under team control carry real value, and Coulibaly is still waiting on his rookie extension. If he doesn’t take a major step, he should end up cheaper than Johnson over time.
Johnson’s presence in the locker room is the one thing that’s hardest to replace. His leadership value isn’t easy to measure. But if Washington wants to make a serious push, adding him would be a smart place to start.
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