It's Day One of the NBA offseason for the San Antonio Spurs, and if they want to make it back to the NBA Finals, there's one move they have to make this summer.
The San Antonio Spurs, by all measures, exceeded expectations in the 2025-26 NBA season, making it all the way to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the New York Knicks in five games.
In all five contests, the Spurs held a double-digit lead, but were only able to hold onto it in Game 3. Their inexperience showed, but with the postseason under their belt and a young, hungry core, there's no reason to think the Spurs won't be back in the Finals next year.
As they gear up for another postseason run, there's one roster move that the team must make to secure its long-term success.
Spurs Must Extend Julian Champagnie
There's an argument to be made that Julian Champagnie is the worst of the five Spurs' starters, but he's undeniably the best 3-point shooter on the team. In the regular season, he buried 195 triples, setting a franchise record. In his fourth season, the St. John's product averaged a career-high 11.1 points and is one of the better rebounding wings in the NBA.
He did all that while making only $3 million. The Spurs have him on the best contract in the NBA, although he is coming up on the last season of his four-year, $12 million deal. His next contract will be much, much bigger.
And he's proven that he'll be worth every penny.
The Spurs have Harrison Barnes and Kelly Olynyk coming off the books this summer, freeing up $32.3 million. Victor Wembanyama is eligible for his rookie extension, worth up to $300 million (which the Spurs will have no problem coughing up), but will still have one more year on his team-friendly rookie contract.
On top of that, the Spurs have to save money for Stephon Castle's and Dylan Harper's eventual extensions, limiting just how much they can offer Champagnie. However, like the long-term deals the Spurs signed Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson to in offseasons past, Champiagnie could be extended on a descending deal, where he would make a reasonable $105 million over five years, but with his annual salary decreasing every two seasons.
That's still a lot of money for a player whose NBA career was on the ropes just three seasons ago, and it gives the Spurs enough maneuverability to keep their core intact. If the Spurs allow Champagnie to play next season without an extension in place, then in the summer of 2027, a rival will likely make him an offer the Spurs can't match.
Cementing him as a key member of the future now is a must, and he gives the Spurs spacing and defense, and is versatile enough to play with pretty much everyone on the roster.
