5 Spurs who undoubtedly need to be traded or released before next season

4. Julian Champagnie

Champagnie's placement on this list is a product of circumstance. As the season went on, he adjusted to his role as a starter well. Starting in the NBA is no easy task and Julian is still a young player, building a foundation for his career. Fans were excited about what he could bring after his splashy Summer League performances. He was shooting the ball at a ridiculously high clip then.

The pressure once the real players are on the court is different, though. It can be hard to project production from Summer League performances but it was hard not to get excited when you understood the gravity Victor Wembanyama would bring, leaving shooters like Champagnie open to capitalize on the space.

He barely shot over the league average of 36.6% on wide-open threes, which are considered to be such with six-plus feet of open space, at 38.1%. That's less than a two percent increase from his overall clip of 36.3%. Still, he's only coming off his second year and he competes hard. He has plenty of room to grow but the Spurs should draft Dalton Knecht from Tennessee.

If they slide Knecht into Champagnie's spot, they will have a naturally better shooter with a three-level scoring presence already in his bag. They could send him to the bench but San Antonio should prioritize bringing back Cedi Osman and playing Sidy Cissoko more minutes. If they also pick up an additional veteran in the offseason, and they should, the St John's product would be on the outside looking in.