The Spurs found one of their most important players through a move that had nothing to do with basketball value at the time. Julian Champagnie was waived by the Sixers in February 2023 so Philadelphia could create a roster spot for Mac McClung’s Slam Dunk Contest run, but the guard-forward ended up becoming a defining part of San Antonio’s rise.
Champagnie said the waiver shook him deeply. “Back then, being 22 … I thought it was over,” he told Sports Illustrated, before the Spurs quickly gave him a new path and a long-term role.
A quick signing that turned into a long-term gain
Two days after Philadelphia cut him, Champagnie joined a Spurs team in the middle of a 22-win season under Gregg Popovich. The franchise was still months away from landing Victor Wembanyama in the lottery, and the roster was in a clear developmental stage.
Champagnie said Popovich identified his strength immediately. “Coach Pop told me I had a niche, which is shooting the basketball,” he said, and that skill became the foundation of his value in San Antonio.
His impact came with steady production over time. In four seasons with the Spurs, he has averaged 9.5 points per game while shooting 38% from three-point range, showing the kind of reliable floor spacing that teams need around a young star.
A contract that looks like a bargain
The Spurs re-signed Champagnie a month after drafting Wembanyama, giving him a four-year deal worth $12 million. That contract pays $3 million annually, and it has become one of the clearest value deals on the roster.
Champagnie delivered his best scoring season this year, averaging a career-high 11.1 points per game while shooting 43% overall. San Antonio also holds a team option for next season, which gives the club flexibility to keep him at the current price or move in another direction and try to bring him back on a different deal.
That combination of price and production has made him one of the better value contracts in the league. It also reflects how the Spurs have benefited from patience with a player who was once viewed as expendable elsewhere.
Why his role changed the season
For much of his Spurs tenure, Champagnie came off the bench. Late in December, Mitch Johnson made a major lineup change and inserted Champagnie in place of veteran starter Harrison Barnes, a move that shifted the team’s balance.
The effect was immediate because the Spurs gained another shooter around Wembanyama. San Antonio finished the season 39–11 after the change, and the spacing helped unlock a more efficient version of the offense.
Champagnie’s value grew again in the Western Conference finals, where the Spurs faced elimination and needed a scoring boost. In the final three games of the series, he averaged 17.3 points while hitting 48% of his three-pointers, and Johnson called him the team’s “unsung hero.”
From being waived to helping shape a contender
Champagnie’s time in San Antonio also overlapped with the Spurs building out a deeper core. The team drafted Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, then traded for De’Aaron Fox as the roster took shape around Wembanyama.
He also saw a major coaching transition, as Popovich stepped away from the sideline after suffering a stroke in Nov. 2024 and Johnson took over the coaching reins. Through those changes, Champagnie remained a consistent fit because his role stayed simple and useful.
That simplicity has made him especially important in high-pressure games. He is heading into the Finals against the Knicks with added familiarity with Madison Square Garden, where he played in college for St. John’s and also appeared in high school with Bishop Loughlin.
“Being able to go back to the Garden and compete for a championship, it’s the best feeling ever,” Champagnie said Wednesday, a line that captures how far his career has come since the day he thought the NBA opportunity might be gone.
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