Julian Champagnie’s rise with the Spurs has turned into a payday, and the forward isn’t pretending it hasn’t meant something.
After moving into the starting five last season, Champagnie landed a three-year, $45MM extension at the end of June. He called it a milestone, saying, “It meant the world to me,” and adding, “I’m happy they trust me doing my job.”
The path to that deal wasn’t exactly smooth. The 76ers waived Champagnie and his two-way contract in February 2023, and San Antonio scooped him up a couple days later.
He then signed a four-year, $12MM contract in the 2023 offseason after impressing the Spurs late in his rookie year. Now, as Champagnie noted, he’ll make more in 2026/27 than he did over his first four seasons combined.
That journey clearly still sticks with him. The 25-year-old said the Spurs were the “only team that gave me the opportunity I was looking for,” and the extension gave him a moment to reflect.
“Signing that (extension) definitely made me look back and just kind of pat myself back and say, ‘Alright, you did something right and figured it out,’ ” Champagnie said. “There’s still more to go, but you’re on the right way and the right path. ”
Harrison Barnes is also back in San Antonio, returning for a third season after re-signing on a one-year, $8MM deal in free agency. Barnes said he’s comfortable with the smaller role he took on near the end of 2025/26 and wanted to stay after putting in two seasons of “sweat equity” with the team.
“I genuinely enjoy my teammates and I’ve enjoyed the progress and all things that we built in the first couple years,” Barnes said. “I’m excited for another year here.”
The bigger question is how the Spurs line up their group of starters this season. De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper are all in the mix for two backcourt spots, while Tobias Harris could also affect the frontcourt rotation and push Devin Vassell or Champagnie.
Mitch Johnson said the three guards will share the floor more often in 2026/27 no matter who opens games, and Vassell brushed off the uncertainty with the right tone.
“Let me put it this way. My job is simple: Play basketball, do the right things the right way,” Vassell said.
“I don’t know what the lineups look like. I’m going to let that be with Mitch.
But I think that it’s a great problem to have that we have so many people that can start, that can play in big-time minutes, that can play in big-time games, that have experience.”
Johnson also sounded genuinely fired up about the addition of Billy Donovan as the team’s new top assistant. He called Donovan “a tremendous person” with “worlds of experience” and praised the way he works.
“He’s a tremendous person, great personality, fits in seamlessly,” Johnson said. “He’s got worlds of experience and he’s an extremely hard worker.
He’s not kicking his feet up and telling stories. He’s rolling his sleeves up and getting his hands dirty.
So very, very honored and excited to have him here.”
And for Carter Bryant, the focus is simple in year two: sharpen the role he already has. He said he wants to get better defensively, guard multiple positions, contest at the rim, and make life difficult for whoever he’s matched up against. Offensively, he wants to keep shooting, quicken everything up, and finish cleaner.
“Individually, for me, just getting better defensively,” Bryant said. “I want to … be able to guard multiple positions, contest shots at the rim, be a rim protector at the wing position.
Be able to pick up full-court, turn guards. Just make life hard for anybody.
And then just offensively, keep shooting the ball. Shooting the ball with a little more speed, a little more pace, a little more confidence, and then just playing off of closeouts.
That’s all. Nothing too complicated, nothing too difficult.
Being on balance, being strong with the ball going in, and finishing better. Simple, trying to keep it as simple as possible.
I don’t need to do too much in this role and on this team, so just trying to master that day by day.”
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The biggest part of that education is the daily work against Victor Wembanyama, and that is hardly a normal introduction for an early-career center. Reed is being asked to absorb the lessons that come from facing one of the leagues toughest defenders day after day, and if he can turn those reps into real growth, it could help accelerate whatever comes next for him in San Antonio. [Read more 🡒]
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Barnes, meanwhile, is back on a one-year deal and likely fits as a depth piece unless the season takes a different turn. For San Antonio, that makes the preseason more than a chance to get legs under the roster - it is a first look at how the Spurs want to deploy veterans who could shape the season in different ways. If those roles do not settle quickly, the front office may have more options, and more decisions, than it would prefer this early. [Read more 🡒]
Stephon Castle Just Got A New Challenge The Spurs Cant Ignore
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There is a flip side for San Antonio, though, and it could matter just as much. If officials are more willing to call those push-offs on offense, Castle should also get a bit more freedom on the other end, where staying attached to ballhandlers is already a tough assignment. For a young guard trying to sharpen his edge, it is the sort of rule change that can force a quick reset while also offering a small reward if he can adapt fast enough. [Read more 🡒]