Tobias Harris’ arrival in San Antonio has changed the picture for Keldon Johnson, and not in a way that makes Johnson’s path any clearer.
The Spurs addressed a long-standing need this summer by signing Harris, giving themselves a veteran option at power forward and a bigger body in a spot where they had been short on help. For San Antonio, that’s a major boost. For Johnson, it may mean fewer chances to slide down and soak up minutes at the four, where he played 16% of his minutes last season.
Johnson is a small forward by label, but he’s spent plenty of time playing bigger than that. He has held up reasonably well in those minutes, yet the Spurs have clearly been looking for more size and depth around him.
With Julian Champagnie, Harrison Barnes and Harris now in the mix, they finally have it. All three stand at least 6'7, while Johnson is listed at 6'4.
That doesn’t remove Johnson from the equation. It just makes his role more specialized.
San Antonio will still need what he brings, even if his workload shrinks. Johnson was one of only two Spurs to play in all 82 games last season, and when you include the postseason, he logged 105 games. His postseason play drew criticism, but his ability to stay on the floor gave the team a steady presence throughout the year.
Next season, he’s likely to sit behind Devin Vassell and ahead of Carter Bryant in the rotation. Vassell’s strong play last season and in the playoffs points to more minutes his way, which means Johnson may have to settle for less time overall.
The good news for the Spurs is that Johnson’s game has always had some built-in value even in shorter bursts. He plays with force, and that energy can still matter when the minutes dip.
There’s also the contract angle. Johnson may not look like a lock to be re-signed, but he is still auditioning for his next deal. That alone should keep him motivated to put together a strong season, even if Harris’ presence trims his role.
The bench picture could shift even more if Dylan Harper takes over as the Spurs’ Sixth Man. Harper could even push into Sixth Man of the Year territory, which would give San Antonio a rare kind of depth problem - the good kind. With Harris in the fold, the second unit should also have more scoring punch.
Johnson remains important to what the Spurs do. He just may not be as central as he once was.
His defense, offensive rebounding and 3-point shooting helped fuel San Antonio’s NBA Finals run, and while his playoff showing wasn’t strong overall, his Game 7 performance in the Western Conference Finals showed he can still swing a game. The difference now is opportunity.
Harris’ addition makes that harder to come by, and it puts Johnson’s future with the Spurs in question.
In Other News...
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For the Spurs, the appeal is obvious enough to invite debate: a proven veteran guard would change the way the young core is developed and how the offense is organized around it. But the fit question is where things get interesting, because bringing in a player of that caliber would force an early decision on how the club wants to handle its guard rotation and the minutes it has been saving for its next lead ballhandler. [Read more 🡒]
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Around the league, the Minnesota Timberwolves signed guard Stephen Thompson to a training camp contract and waived Jules Bernard, while San Antonio also made a small but notable move of its own. For the Spurs, these kinds of signings usually point to the same bigger question: which young guards can turn a short runway in camp into something more substantial once the real roster battles begin? [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Rotation Shift Could Squeeze Out A Familiar Veteran
The Spurs are preparing to lean harder on Dylan Harper this season, a move that could quickly reshape the backcourt and wing rotation around him. San Antonio wants Harper on the floor more often, with minutes that could look more like those of established pieces such as De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, and that kind of rise naturally squeezes the rest of the depth chart.
Among the players most affected is Keldon Johnson, whose role already feels a little more vulnerable as the roster gets younger and the ball starts moving toward different hands. Harrison Barnes is also in the mix as someone who could lose run, and Johnson's place in the long-term picture only adds to the intrigue with his contract situation still looming. [Read more 🡒]