Keldon Johnson's last-ditch hope to avoid Spurs’ trade block hinges on one thing

This summer could be a crucial one for long-time San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson. Johnson had a terrific 2025-26 season and even won Sixth Man of the Year but reverted back to his old ways when the Spurs needed him the most.

Johnson's struggles came to the forefront in the playoffs. His bull-in-a-china-shop approach to attacking the paint didn't translate to the postseason, with San Antonio going up against above-average defenses in each round.

He struggled attacking the rim, finding the open man as a passer, and was pretty miserable on defense. To his credit, he had a strong Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.

Despite that, it's hard to call Johnson's first postseason a success, and he must go back to the drawing board this summer.

Keldon Johnson must dust off an old offensive weapon

By now, everyone knows his MO, physical straight-line drives to the basket. However, ironically, he previously showed off a fairly reliable floater, which added some variety to his offensive arsenal.

When's the last time we saw Johnson dust off that shot? It's hard to say. For all the growth that he made last season, particularly as a shooter with his 3-point shot finally returning after abandoning him, he reverted back to some factory settings

Adding the floater back to his game would give him another tool to use when his jumper isn't falling and he's not able to get to the basket.

Johnson's game must evolve to stay relevant with the Spurs

Johnson did find another way to score besides getting to the rim last season. He actively crashed the offensive glass and got put-backs.

That, and him hitting corner threes, were welcome additions to his game, and reincorporating floaters would be as well. Having more finesse would make him less predictable and prevent teams from easily shutting him down.

If Johnson can accomplish that, then San Antonio would be better for it. The Spurs are likely done making offseason moves. But if Johnson, Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, De'Aaron Fox, and Dylan Harper add to their games, that would be more impactful than any offseason signing.

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