Dylan Harper just made Mitch Johnson's job much easier (but Keldon's harder)

In a newly released report, The Athletic's Jared Weiss heralds good news on the Spurs' point guard situation. The opinions on whether De'Aaron Fox or Dylan Harper should be starting have been loud and consistent, but what matters most is how the players themselves feel about their dynamic. Well, apparently, the soon-to-be sophomore is A-OK with coming off the bench for now.

"...People familiar with Harper’s thinking, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe team dynamics, acknowledge that he can take on a sixth-man role next season." - Jared Weiss

Dylan Harper's selflessness is exactly what the Spurs needed

Weiss suggests that Victor Wembanyama's contract sacrifice may be related to this mindset, as the culture of selflessness has been established. Whether that's true or not matters little to me at this point. What's more important is being genuine about it, and all signs point to Harper being a stand-up guy who truly understands the big picture for winning in a team sport.

His willingness to operate from the bench will continue to be a tremendous asset for the Spurs. However, the wording of the report raises an eyebrow. If Harper takes the sixth man role, Keldon Johnson gets demoted further. As the longest-tenured player on the team in the final year of his contract, that's not great news.

Now, there's nothing wrong with the expectation that Harper will take over as the primary player off the bench when the 2026-27 campaign begins. It's the obvious play, considering his draft status as the number two overall pick last season and his stellar play throughout his rookie year. But that doesn't mean it won't make things difficult for KJ.

The timing couldn't be worse for Keldon Johnson

If Keldon has made one thing clear about his aspirations as a professional in the NBA, it's his desire to remain in a silver and black uniform. Unfortunately, the more this team rounds into championship form, the less he's seen as a critical piece to the puzzle, despite how his teammates feel about him as a leader and emotional booster.

During the 2022-23 season, Johnson was the primary scorer. Then Wemby showed up, and he started, but obviously, he was no longer "the" guy. That change to his role wasn't enough, though. Something was still off in the Spurs' offensive and defensive attack, so Big Body was moved to the bench.

Now, Johnson is coming off a Sixth Man of the Year triumph, and after a lackluster playoff performance, fans (and clearly the Spurs staff) are left looking at his role again, wondering if he should be part of the future.

Keldon will have fewer chances to prove he belongs if Harper is going to take the sixth man role from him. San Antonio's wing rotation is deep now, and KJ is already coming off a season where he averaged the fewest minutes per game of his career. It feels like the writing is on the wall for the Spurs' 7-year man. But like Jeremy Sochan, the roster may have simply outgrown him.

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