Spurs' biggest Keldon Johnson question won't be answered for months

Longtime San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson will have a make-or-break 2026-27 season, but one burning question will take months to answer.

Johnson had a strong regular season last year, even winning Sixth Man of the Year, but his performance in the NBA playoffs left a lot to be desired. He struggled attacking the paint, with opposing teams well aware of his tendency to bulldoze his way to the basket.

He also failed defensively, with him prone to fouling at the worst possible times. In his defense, that was his first taste of the postseason despite having been with the Spurs for seven years.

Having a rough go during his first playoff run isn't unforgivable, but he will have a lot of expectations next season.

Keldon Johnson must redeem himself next season

Johnson should have plenty of motivation to want to redeem himself next season. After all, he was the Spurs' worst rotation player in the playoffs, based on net rating.

Had it not been for De'Aaron Fox's disaster class in the NBA Finals, the heat would be squarely on Johnson. It still affected him, however, with the Spurs not offering him a contract extension this summer.

Instead, they gave Victor Wembanyama and Julian Champagnie extensions, showing he is low on their list of offseason priorities. That may only be partly due to his poor playoff performance, however.

Keldon Johnson is fighting for his future with the Spurs

Johnson is entering the final year of his contract, and the Spurs are clearly wary about extending him. I'm sure they'd love to keep him around, but given second-apron concerns, they can't commit to giving him a long-term deal.

Instead, he will likely enter next season without a new contract in place. That will give him added motivation, with him playing for a new contract and also trying to redeem himself after an ugly playoff run.

I expect him to have a decreased role next season, but he could still be crucial to the team's championship hopes. As long as he can continue to knock down open threes, crash the offensive glass, and smartly attack the paint, he'll be fine.

Defensively, fouling less and not having to defend power forwards could make him less of a liability on that end. Still, it will take months for us to see how he responds to his poor playoff performance.

I fully expect him to bounce back next year, but due to financial constraints, he may not be back beyond next season.

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