Spurs' decision on making Keldon Johnson a lifer already has a clear answer

The San Antonio Spurs are the most loyal organization in the NBA, but the collective bargaining agreement will prevent the franchise from making Keldon Johnson a lifer. He is set to make $18 million in the final year of his contract. San Antonio is just $9.7 million under the tax for next season and $30 million under the second apron as Victor Wembanyama’s extension kicks in. That is just the beginning, and the Spurs will quickly have to make difficult decisions every contender faces.

Boston dismantled the 2024 title roster over the last two years. The rival Thunder had to trade Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins this summer. The second apron even forced the defending champion Knicks to lose Mitchell Robinson. Every franchise is forced to avoid the roster-building restrictions and spending that come with being over the second apron. San Antonio will face several difficult decisions as extensions for Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper kick in, and it will force them to dump role players like Keldon Johnson.

San Antonio drafted Johnson with the 29th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. They extended him once already. The Spurs clearly value the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, but they acquired Tobias Harris this summer and drafted Carter Bryant in the 2025 lottery. Keldon’s replacement is already on the roster, and the Spurs don’t want to hamstring their builds around Wemby. It will mean parting ways with Johnson as the roster gets expensive.

The Spurs can’t make Keldon Johnson a lifer in San Antonio

San Antonio has a decision to make now. Johnson is entering the final year of his contract, and the franchise doesn’t want to lose him with zero return in free agency. His playoff struggles left unanswered questions, but he was a key floor spacer and scorer for the Spurs in the regular season. That should have value to San Antonio and on the trade market.

The franchise wants to win now. They just lost in the NBA Finals and have no plans to waste a year with Wembanyama. The Spurs clearly plan to keep Keldon for this season. They should look to extend him, so they can get value back in a trade when their spending concerns kick in.

Keeping his salary at $18 million in the 2027-28 season would push the Spurs over the first apron with Castle’s massive raise looming the following year. Spending concerns will surface quickly, especially if the plan is to keep Johnson beyond this season.

San Antonio has multiple avenues to solving their spending woes. Fans are already discussing trading De’Aaron Fox’s massive contract. Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, and Tobias Harris are all set to make over $15 million per year. It feels like Johnson is the worst of those players and will likely be the first one to go.

The Spurs' focus should be maximizing Wembanyama, Castle, and Harper. The three young stars could all be top-20 players in the NBA and win multiple championships.

Building the roster around them won’t be easy, especially in the second apron era. The Spurs will have to part with multiple talented role players and keep replenishing with rookie contracts. That is just how things go in the modern era.

The San Antonio Spurs will have to move on from Keldon Johnson at some point. Their roster has too much talent and will get expensive quickly. Sadly, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year is not a core piece. Expect Johnson to get paid elsewhere as the Spurs try to build around Wemby. That is sadly how things go in the NBA's second apron era.

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