Keldon Johnson's turnaround opens options for Spurs this summer

The race may be over for San Antonio, but the team has been giving fans something to look forward to next season. Before last night's loss to the Pistons, when they couldn't buy a bucket in the first half, the Spurs were one of the top offensive units in the league. Their firepower showed up in the second half, and they shot 50% from the field. Unfortunately, Detroit shot 53.8%, so they couldn't close the gap.

Obviously, they need to work on their defense, but the offensive production the team has shown is encouraging, and Keldon Johnson has been a huge part of it. Zach Montana, co-host of the Silver and Black Coffee Hour podcast, did a tremendous job of detailing just how impactful Johnson has been.

"The best plus/minus on this list I had is going to be Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, and Jeremy Sochan at a +27, and they've played 118 minutes together." - Zach Montana on Spurs best 3-man lineups in March.

Keldon Johnson's improved play gives the Spurs more options

KJ is averaging 15.2 points per game, shooting 54.8 from the field and 40.6% from beyond the arc since NBA All-Star Weekend. He's looked more in control of his game than ever before. It's exactly what the Spurs needed earlier in the year but didn't get until something clicked for him during the second half of the season.

As Montana points out, Johnson is playing well, no matter who is in the lineup with him, and the three players from past San Antonio drafts whom they've hoped would be staples to the future—Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, and Jeremy Sochan—are thriving together.

Spurs' GM Brian Wright has an important summer coming up, so Keldon's turnaround comes at the perfect time. His contract is very tradeable, and he's raised his value as of late. Bad players aren't easy to trade. If he never improved his play, San Antonio may have found a way to move him, but the return wouldn't have been what you would hope for.

Now, the front office can use him as a valuable trade piece in any deal if they identify a gettable upgrade. You may wonder why they would even consider moving him if he's playing so well, but Johnson still struggles on the defensive end of the floor, and as evidenced by the egregiously high scores of their opponents over the past month, they badly need to address their defense.

However, there's always a chance they decide keeping KJ is in the best interest of the team. His play lately would encourage that state of thinking, and maybe they could address the defense in other ways. All of the options are available to them, and they all have benefits. It's the perfect place to be with a player, and it's only possible because he's stepped up.