Spurs' depth chart puts Keldon Johnson in an unwinnable situation

With no contract extension in sight, Keldon Johnson finds himself in quite a predicament. The longest-tenured Spurs player on the roster wants to keep his reign going, but that may not be in the cards. But when you look at the rotation, it becomes clearer than ever that KJ's best option to make the most of the rest of his career will be in another city.

The Spurs' rotation leaves little room for Keldon Johnson

The Spurs' projected rotation to start the 2026-27 season:

PG: De'Aaron Fox - Dylan Harper
SG: Stephon Castle - Dylan Harper
SF: Devin Vassell - Carter Bryant
PF: Julian Champagnie - Tobias Harris
C: Victor Wembanyama - Luke Kornet - Tarris Reed Jr.

That's a 10-man rotation, and it will only get more complicated once Jayden Quaintance is cleared. Mitch Johnson isn't going to run 11 players on the floor nightly. KJ will likely get his chances to show he still belongs on the court, but the leash should be much shorter. The one caveat to this equation and his only hope is for Carter Bryant not to take a leap in his second year.

It's the reality of the business that young guys get drafted to take the place of older players regularly. CB has Keldon's fate in his hands, and the former Arizona Wildcat has already been in the gym this summer. We already know he's an A+ defender, and the 2025 14th overall pick showed a ton of poise on offense during the playoffs.

Bryant knocked down his fair share of three-pointers when the rock swung his way, and he didn't make many ball-security mistakes. It was impressive, and his tools are exactly what the Spurs need from that role.

Carter's biggest problem was racking up too many fouls too quickly, but rectifying that will come with experience. As Bryant gets more reps defending high-level offensive players, the understanding of how to avoid contact will come. He'll get more of that when his minutes inevitably increase in his sophomore campaign.

Johnson has become the odd man out

Unfortunately, that puts Johnson on the back burner. He's not a shooting guard, so he's not going to play the two. Champagnie's spacing is too valuable, and they didn't sign Harris to ride the pine.

As far as Reed and Quaintance, one of SA's biggest weaknesses last season was a lack of size and depth in their frontcourt, so they're definitely getting playing time.

The Spurs have evolved past KJ's strengths. They don't need his particular brand of offense, and he's one of the worst defenders on the team. The circumstances make the writing on the wall as clear as hieroglyphics written in highlighter.

Johnson is likely preparing for his final year in San Antonio, and there isn't much he can do about it.

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