Spurs should lock Julian Champagnie in as starter despite Tobias Harris' history

The San Antonio Spurs made quite a splash in free agency when they signed veteran forward Tobias Harris to a two-year deal worth upward of $30.8 million. It was an apparent declaration that the Spurs are aware of how much better they need to be at forward if they hope to win a championship in 2027.

Though that may be true overall, San Antonio shouldn't allow Harris' arrival to change a single thing about Julian Champagnie's place in the starting lineup.

Harris is a 15-year veteran who has started every game he's played since the commencement of the 2017-18 season. Even in 2016-17, he started 48 of his 82 appearances. In fact, he's started 913 of his 1,033 career regular season games and all 81 of his postseason outings.

With that in mind, there's reason to at least wonder if Harris signed with San Antonio under the impression that he would have a shot at cracking the starting lineup.

Keep in mind: Harris isn't a veteran on a sharp decline. He started all 63 of his appearances for the 60-win Detroit Pistons in 2025-26 and averaged 27.7 minutes per game. He could thus emerge as an ideal starter for a Spurs side that did, in fact, need to improve its depth at forward.

Though Harris may have a claim for being the better individual talent, his history doesn't change the Spurs' reality: Champagnie needs to start.

Julian Champagnie should be locked in as a Spurs starter after 2025-26

Champagnie, 25, started 68 of his 82 regular season appearances and all 23 of his playoff games for the Spurs in 2025-26. He not only played a key role as San Antonio went 62-20, but elevated his quality of play during the playoffs as the team reached the NBA Finals.

Though Champagnie may not blow viewers away with what he does, he makes a positive impact in virtually every phase of the game—and is a perfect complement to Victor Wembanyama..

Champagnie and Wembanyama played 2,596 possessions together in 2025-26, per Cleaning the Glass. During that time, the Spurs outscored opponents by 20.1 points per 100 possessions. Though still great, that number plummeted to 9.9 during the 1,316 possessions Wembanyama played without Champagnie on the court.

Furthermore, Wembanyama averaged 4.8 more points per 75 possessions and improved his true shooting percentage by 4.5 percent when Champagnie was on the floor with him. Perhaps Harris could have a similar impact, but assuming so would be premature, at best.

One of the primary reasons the returning duo worked so well together was the defensive versatility that Champagnie displayed and the spacing he offered as a shooter.

Julian Champagnie has a positive effect on Wemby

Champagnie ranked in the 56th percentile in three-point shot quality, yet finished in the 80th percentile in three-point shot making efficiency, per Basketball Index. He also ranked in the 87th percentile in off-ball gravity, which is a testament to how much respect he commands from opposing defenses.

On the other end of the floor, Champagnie ranked in the 70th percentile in defensive positional versatility and held his own against players at every position from 1 to 4 with positive results.

Yes, Harris is capable of doing much of the same as Champagnie—and in some respects, perhaps even at a higher level. Benching a 25-year-old riser just as they begin to come into their own for a 34-year-old veteran who may or may not have staying power in San Antonio simply wouldn't be the right move.

Champagnie still has areas of improvement to focus on, but he's earned his place in the starting lineup and shouldn't be displaced just because the Spurs signed Harris.

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