The Spurs biggest training camp battle might not involve the starters

The Spurs' starting five is close to locked. There are plenty of fans on each side of the Julian Champagnie/Tobias Harris starter debate, but one thing is for sure: both players will get significant playing time. The same guarantee isn't true for the guys lower on the depth chart.

The real training camp fight is buried in the frontcourt/wing rotation between three players with three different cases for playing time and only so many minutes to go around.

Keldon Johnson, Carter Bryant, and Harrison Barnes will battle it out for minutes

Keldon Johnson has the contract year case. He's in the final year of his deal, giving him a financial and personal incentive to prove he still deserves regular minutes somewhere. KJ has been clear about his love for the Spurs, so he'll be working hard this summer to put his best foot forward when the season arrives.

Harrison Barnes is the steady veteran. He went through a few shooting rough patches last season, but he's still the one who makes the fewest mistakes. Barnes is older, but he's not completely done yet. If Mr. 100% starts knocking down a crazy three-point percentage as he did two years ago, he could bully his way into the rotation.

Carter Bryant has the developmental angle. The Spurs are about to see what a full offseason at the NBA level translates to for the incoming sophomore. As the youngest of the group, Bryant has the most room to improve, and for someone already so disruptive defensively, that gives him a huge leg up in this competition.

The Spurs should want Carter Bryant to win but that's not a guarantee

Carter is six years younger than KJ. That's significant runway for growth. Bryant came into the league with high upside, and he showed several flashes of what he could be during his rookie season. Reaching his potential means the Spurs keep all of their core pieces on Victor Wembanyama's timeline.

Still, if CB doesn't show enough, Mitch Johnson could decide he wants to go with a safer option. That opens the door for Barnes to settle into the rotation if he's shooting well. Or Keldon, whose motivations could make him a surprise standout even if he's expected to be the odd man out.

Teams will report to camp in a little over a month. The bulk of the conversation will be focused on who wins the starting power forward job, but keep an eye on the brewing fight between Bryant, Barnes, and KJ. That's the battle that will determine how deep the Spurs can really go.

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