Clever CBA loophole gifts Spurs the perfect free agency opportunity

With the San Antonio Spurs' season already over, they already have a jump start on the summer. That potentially gives them a leg up on the competition, with them having more time to mull over potential extensions.

Doing so now could help them significantly in the long term with the rising salary cap but also a more restrictive collective bargaining agreement. Many Spurs fans are already expecting a big De'Aaron Fox extension this summer, but another key Spurs player could also be extended.

On a recent episode of Hollinger and Duncan, Hollinger floated the idea of the Spurs offering Julian Champagnie a 3-year, $30 million extension. That would keep him under contract for the next 5 years when factoring in the two remaining years on his current contract. That wasn't previously possible under the previous collective bargaining agreement.

The Spurs must extend Julian Champagnie this summer

Champagnie is on a uniquely structured deal, with him having previously signed a minimum 4-year contract, with the final year of that deal being non-guaranteed.

However, Hollinger believes that by proactively extending him, the Spurs could turn his already solid contract into a highly valuable steal of a deal. After all, at 6-8 and being just 23 years old, Champagnie has shown enough to warrant a long-term investment.

Considering that he was an undrafted player that was previously cut by another team, he may be open to guaranteed money. Especially with him making just $6 million combined over the last two years of his contract, making $10 million a season a big pay raise.

He was one of the Spurs' few high-volume three-point shooters this season and made strides on the defensive end. That hints at a future as a three-and-D wing that could even start on a good team. Of course, he previously started for the Spurs and could do so later on if he continues to develop.

Those are good reasons to offer him an extension this summer. Were they to do so, then that contract could look even better down the road. The way San Antonio's roster is constructed, they have plenty of questionable shooters, and Champagne being able to reliably hit shots ensures that he will have a spot in the rotation.

He drilled an impressive 37.1% of his 5.9 3-point attempts per game this season. Not just that, but his size and improving defensive instincts make sense on the wing, ensuring that San Antonio doesn't have a weak link in certain lineups.

Extending Julian Champagnie could result in a bargain contract

Hollinger's predicted extension, which will pay him $10 million on average over a three-year span, could look like a genius move in retrospect. One reason being that the salary cap is expected to rise by 10% each season, with it already expected to be $187.1 million during the 2027-28 season. For perspective, if he were making around $10 million that season, he would make up just 5.3% of the cap.

However, that percentage would decrease significantly each season he's on a contract. San Antonio making these long-term investments could pay big dividends when they are paying star Victor Wembanyama a supermax contract and De'Aaron Fox what could end up being a 30% max extension.

Overall, with the Spurs expected to become increasingly expensive in the near future, it makes sense to extend Champagnie sooner rather than later. Doing so could be an underrated move that could pay off in a big way down the road.