A Keldon Johnson trade is suddenly more plausible after Spurs' Fox extension

Now that the San Antonio Spurs and De'Aaron Fox have agreed to a max extension, there will be much more scrutiny surrounding the team's salaries going forward. This team will soon get much more expensive, but they have one player in particular who could soon become expendable.

Keldon Johnson is set to return for his seventh season with the Spurs, but his spot in the rotation is far from a guarantee. He was previously the team's leading scorer during the 2022-23 season but has since been demoted to the bench.

If Johnson does fall out of the rotation, then his $17.5 million salary for next season and the year after becomes an albatross. Especially with Fox making $57.5 million on average once his extension kicks in after next season.

That could mean that the Spurs will look to move Johnson at the trade deadline, presumably for a player on an expiring contract. Doing so would allow them to shed $17.5 million from the books for next summer and keep them from going into the luxury tax before they have to.

Keldon Johnson may be on the Spurs chopping block

With Fox getting a max contract and Victor Wembanyama up for an extension in the next two seasons, the Spurs are about to get a lot more expensive. This means that players who are not necessarily a part of the team's future may soon need to moved.

Johnson and Devin Vassell are the two most obvious candidates since they have both been on the Spurs for at least five seasons, and they don't have clear-cut roles going forward. Vassell is a lot more expensive, with him making $27 million on average over the next four seasons.

However, his skillset is more useful. The Spurs need shooting, and he provides that, albeit inconsistently. If he can revert back to the 2022-23 version of himself, where he hit 38.7% of his 7.0 3-point attempts per game, then that would go a long way toward justifying keeping him around in the short term.

The Spurs may already have a Keldon Johnson replacement

Johnson doesn't have a clear-cut skill set that is valuable. Sure, he plays hard and helps light a fire under teammates, but his individual skill doesn't gel well with the team's needs.

He can't shoot consistently, pass, or defend but he can still have big games by bullying his way to the rim. Unfortunately for him, with De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper on the team, the Spurs won't be hurting for slashers who can get to the rim.

They also have Julian Champagnie, who is already a good high-volume shooter and steadily developing into a three-and-D wing. Then there's Carter Bryant, who is also a good shooter and has the chance to be a terrific defender right out of the gate. Both players have cases for playing over Johnson next season.

Had his shot not abandoned him, Johnson would be the perfect sixth man that can punish teams from outside and in the paint. But without it, he may not do enough to justify keeping him around.