Spurs' deeper rotation spells out tough reality for Keldon Johnson

The Spurs deepened their wing rotation this summer by signing Tobias Harris to a two-year, $31M deal. It was an amazing addition, but it does put Keldon Johnson's role into question. Sure, he is the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, and deservingly so. But it would be in San Antonio's best interest to move him away for pieces that make more sense for them long-term.

Now, I won't hop on the bandwagon of critics who tried to downplay KJ's value to the Spurs last season. He was underwhelming in the playoffs with a massive dip in scoring and efficiency, but he was still a driving factor behind San Antonio's amazing 62-win 2025-26 campaign.

He's also relatively young. This isn't some veteran who's shown time and time again that he isn't built for the postseason. Johnson had his first taste of playoff basketball in 2026, so it's not surprising that his weaknesses got exposed. But the Spurs would still benefit from seeking a deal to round out their roster with marginal pieces that better suit their needs.

Johnson's role with the team is up in the air for next season

The Spurs are entering next season with even more weapons than last season. They have a deeper rotation of interior players after drafting Jayden Quaintance, Tarris Reed Jr., and Maliq Brown. They also have additional perimeter scoring after tacking on Tobias Harris, who averaged 18.1 points in the playoffs for the Pistons last season.

Also, think about the pieces they already had. Dylan Harper will undoubtedly see a boost in minutes after his outstanding performance in the NBA Finals. Additionally, it's hard to imagine Carter Bryant not getting more time, given his promise as a 3&D threat.

This could be a huge blow to Keldon Johnson's minutes for San Antonio. He may have some good moments in the regular season, but what is his role for them in the playoffs? At least one of their new bigs will get playing time on that stage, while Harris and Harper will have the ball in their hands a lot when Victor Wembanyama is off the floor.

The need for KJ in San Antonio next season just isn't as high as it was last season. On top of that, he's on an expiring deal, set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. It'd be better to move someone with such an ambiguous role soon for better marginal pieces rather than just letting him walk away in the 2027 offseason.

It's sad that we're at this point with Keldon Johnson

Let's be honest with ourselves; Keldon Johnson was one of the best parts of the Spurs' explosive 2025-26 season. His energy was contagious, and he helped re-establish a culture of unselfishness in San Antonio. We're talking about a former 20-point-per-game scorer accepting a bench role to make way for younger players.

It's important to point this out because critics tend to lose the plot. Sure, he didn't play up to standard in the postseason, but the Spurs would not have accomplished a 62-win year without him. It's similar to the harsh reactions to De'Aaron Fox. Don't let playoff blunders make you forget about the big picture. These guys still made an impact.

But the unfortunate part about every great team is that they have to part ways with fan favorites at some point, and that could very well be the case for San Antonio soon. This summer, they filled their roster with players who better suit their championship aspirations.

Keldon's future is still bright, though. He's just outside of the 25-and-under club, and he has the perfect mentality. I don't doubt that he can still turn around and become a high-impact postseason player soon, but that may have to happen for another franchise.

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