Keldon Johnson contract gap reveals what the Spurs actually value

Long-time San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson had a strong 2025-26 regular season but came back to Earth in the playoffs. That has caused some Spurs fans, and possibly even the Spurs themselves, to sour on Johnson.

After all, San Antonio has yet to give him a contract extension. As a result, he will enter the final year of his deal unsure about his future in San Antonio.

Perhaps, after seeing his playoff struggles, the Spurs may believe they can do better. Potentially with Carter Bryant filling his role long-term.

As much as Johnson means to this team, a surprising stat only illustrates his flaws.

Keldon Johnson's biggest flaw is his lack of efficiency

According to Basketball University, Johnson has the third-worst true shooting percentage value over the last three seasons.

It's a convoluted stat, but it suggests that he has been among the least efficient scorers in the NBA over that span and that he has a negative effect on the Spurs' overall offense. That's surprising, but, despite Johnson being known for his physical drives to the rim, he isn't all that efficient.

Yes, he shoots very well at the rim, but not so well everywhere else. To his credit, he got better shooting from outside last season, mainly due to him hitting corner and below-the-break threes.

He also relentlessly attacked the offensive glass, racking up easily points, but it didn't keep him off the aforementioned list. It's also worth mentioning that of the Spurs' best lineups that played significant minutes, Big Body wasn't featured on any of them.

Instead, those lineups had a wealth of ball-handling and shooting surrounding Victor Wembanyama. Johnson isn't particularly good with the ball in his hands and, despite some very promising moments earlier in his career, isn't a good 3-point shooter either.

The Spurs don't have a need that Johnson fills but Carter Bryant does

It's too bad; if he were four inches taller, he'd be a heck of a power forward, but that's obviously not going to happen. During the regular season, Johnson is awesome as a burst of energy that can overwhelm wary teams, but in the playoffs, that isn't the case.

Great teams know his moves—we all know his moves—and they aren't falling for it. As a result, he has a limited ceiling as a key rotation player on a championship-caliber team.

Bryant, on the other hand, fits the need for a big wing who can defend, hit open threes, and score off cuts. If the Spurs had a choice between the two players, and they will, the easy answer is Bryant over Johnson.

Based on that and his struggles with scoring efficiency, Johnson may not return after next season. Hopefully, the Spurs can at least send him off with a championship.

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