The San Antonio Spurs are riding back into the NBA Finals, and Julian Champagnie's playoff breakout is similar to Danny Green's.
Back in 2010, the San Antonio Spurs picked up Danny Green off waivers. Green was coming off an unremarkable rookie season with the Cleveland Cavaliers and had been waived after his first campaign. He signed a "prove it" deal with the Spurs, appearing in only eight games during the 2010-11 season.
In the 2011 playoffs, the Spurs got bounced by the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round, and Green only played in garbage time. The following season, he took on a bigger role, made more shots, and eventually became a staple of the starting lineup. He would go on to play eight seasons with the Spurs, winning a title in 2014, and was in the running for Finals MVP in 2013 before the Spurs ended up losing that season.
Green is just one of many "scrap heap" examples of the Spurs picking up overlooked players and turning them into key contributors. After an excellent Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, Julian Champagnie has been dubbed the second coming of Green.
How Champagnie Wound Up On Spurs
Coming out of St. John's in 2022, Champagnie was a solid player, making two All-Big East teams. However, he went undrafted, signing a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.
After just two appearances, he was waived by the Sixers to make room on the roster for Mac McClung, who needed to be on a roster in order to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest. McClung ended up winning, but the Spurs scooped up Champagnie, signing him to a "prove it" deal. In 15 games with the then-tanking Spurs, Champagnie averaged 11 points on 40.7 percent shooting from deep. The Spurs promptly offered him a four-year, $12 million contract stacked with team options.
It was Champagnie's only hope of remaining in the NBA, and it ended up being one of the best contracts in sports. After he scored 20 points and drained six 3-pointers in the Spurs' 111-103 Game 7 win over the Thunder to clinch a Finals appearance, Champagnie's two-way impact, sweet outside shooting, and origin quickly reminded fans of Green.
"The Spurs way: Development and Scouting, seeing something when others don’t," posted a fan. "Danny Green could say the same thing. It’s hard to root against this franchise, they understand people as much as players!"
"Reminds me of the Spurs picking up Danny Green after he was waived by the Cleveland Cavaliers," added another. "Shrewd, long-term moves by the Spurs to sign players they would develop and instill confidence in that would be keys to their success."
According to a salary model designed by Steph Noh, Champagnie should be making around $26 million. Instead, his salary is $3 million. Of course, he could sign a lucrative extension this summer, and the Spurs are expected to offer him a deal much closer to market price.
It's safe to say that he earned it.
Champagnie Details NBA Career, Breakout
Danny Green has three championship rings and is generally considered one of the best wing role-players ever. Was he ever a superstar? Nope, but he was reliable on both ends of the floor and played winning basketball.
Pretty Spursy!
In the 2013 Finals, the Spurs ended up losing to the Heat in seven games, although Green played well above his weight. The Heat were led by a three-headed monster of prime LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade, and boasted an excellent cast of role players chasing a title.
The Spurs, meanwhile, had a pre-superstar Kawhi Leonard and an aging Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Tim Duncan. They also had Green.
Surrounded by legends, Green averaged 14 points in that series while shooting an impressive 55.1 percent from deep. In the first six games of the series, his scoring jumped to 15.5 points per game. If Ray Allen didn't hit His Shot, there's a very real chance Green would have won Finals MVP.
Even with Victor Wembanyama on the floor for the Spurs in the 2026 Finals, it's easy to see Champagnie having a similar series to Green in 2013. And just like Green, Champagnie's career looked to be over before the Spurs spotted him.
"I was always told how small the window is to kind of get your foot in the league and stay there and make a career for yourself," he explained. "So, you know, getting an opportunity only in the G League and then getting waived with no warning, no nothing explanation or anything, it was tough."
Even during his first few months with the Spurs, Champagnie knew he was barely holding on to his pro career, but the organization gave him the chance to break out.
"I feel like the best thing about me is I try to just fit in where I can," he added. "And I think that's what I do when I got here, and it's been treating me well so far. I can't complain about it. I love my teammates, love the coaching staff, love everybody at the organization, it's a great place to be. I don't think there's a better place that I could be. Big shout out to San Antonio Spurs."
Green would go on to win titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors, so just like Champagnie, he clearly "fit in where he could." Of course, as fans ride the high of the Spurs making the Finals, the thought of seeing Champagnie in another jersey is tough to swallow, but after the Spurs gave him his second chance, it's safe to say that he could make it work anywhere.
Hopefully, the Spurs will offer him an extension this summer so he doesn't get to test unrestricted free agency. Unlike the first time around, he'd be one of the hottest names on the market.
