San Antonio Spurs wing Keldon Johnson and star point guard De'Aaron Fox sat front row for teammate Stephon Castle's Rookie of the Year press conference. Both veteran players enter this offseason under contract for (at least) 2025-26 but are extension-eligible, so their presence was especially noteworthy.
There isn't much (or any) doubt that Fox and the Spurs will ink a four-year, $229 million maximum deal when officially allowed to do so on Aug. 3. After all, San Antonio gave up four first-round picks (two conditional, two unprotected), a pair of second-rounders and multiple players to acquire him in February. However, Johnson's long-term future with the franchise isn't as clear, or at least it shouldn't be.
Johnson is signed through 2026-27 and set to make $17.5 million annually between now and then. As of July 18, he and the Spurs can renegotiate his salary and tack additional years onto his current pact. Nonetheless, going in a different direction may be in San Antonio's best interests.
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Spurs should bypass extending Keldon Johnson and explore moving on
Exploring trade options for Johnson feels like the best path forward for the Spurs. He's proven himself a capable scorer and solid rebounder for his size. But the 25-year-old is an odd fit next to Fox, Castle and franchise centerpiece Victor Wembanyama due to limitations from long distance and defensive shortcomings.
Instead of prolonging its partnership with Johnson, San Antonio can preserve roster flexibility and focus on surrounding Wemby and Fox with players who maximize them. Rival front offices reportedly monitored his availability before the Spurs landed the standout floor general from the Sacramento Kings. They can use him as an asset rather than a building block.
Johnson averaged 12.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in 2024-25 while shooting 48.2 percent from the floor; good but not great numbers. The 2019 first-round selection has shot 35.1 percent from three across six seasons as a pro, though he's gone below that mark in three consecutive campaigns. His 31.8 percent clip from beyond the arc in 2024-25 was a career-worst rate and well below the league average.
Moreover, Johnson's inability to stay in front of or disrupt opponents is apparent, demonstrated by his 115.9 defensive rating this season. That number went up to 117.4 when Wembanyama was shut down in late February due to a deep vein thrombosis diagnosis. If he can't space the floor or make stops, what role do the Spurs have for him?