Tobias Harris throws Keldon Johnson's future with the Spurs into question

The San Antonio Spurs' addition of veteran power forward Tobias Harris could spell trouble for Keldon Johnson in more ways than one. San Antonio was in desperate need of reinforcements at power forward and struck gold when they signed Harris this summer.

That's great for San Antonio's depth but perhaps not so much for Johnson, who played 16% of his minutes at the four last season. If everything goes according to plan, Johnson will only be asked to play small forward, which could both help the Spurs and hurt Johnson.

Yes, he is a small forward, but he has traditionally played a lot at power forward. He's been passable there, though San Antonio has long needed more size and depth at that position.

Fortunately, now they have it with Julian Champagnie, Harrison Barnes, and Harris. Each player is at least 6'7 compared to Johnson, who's just 6'4.

Keldon Johnson may see his role decrease due to Tobias Harris

Despite Johnson probably having a decreased role, San Antonio will still need him to do more with less. Johnson was one of just two Spurs players to appear in all 82 games last season, and his reliability and durability are a major plus.

In fact, including the postseason, Johnson played a staggering 105 games last season. It's fair to criticize his play in the postseason, but his availability at least helped San Antonio have consistency.

Johnson is likely to play behind Devin Vassell and ahead of Carter Bryant in the rotation next season. Given how well Vassell played last season and during the playoffs, he may see an uptick in minutes next season.

As a result, Johnson will have to make do with fewer minutes. Fortunately, his high-energy play lends itself to making a big impact in limited minutes.

Keldon Johnson will have to make do with less

Even if Johnson doesn't seem likely to be re-signed by the Spurs, he is still playing for his next contract. That should hopefully motivate Johnson to have a big year, even though he will be playing a lesser role partly due to Harris.

Dylan Harper is likely to usurp Johnson as the Spurs' Sixth Man. In fact, Harper could very well replace him as Sixth Man of the Year. Having potentially two Sixth Man of the Year winners on your bench is an embarrassment of riches for San Antonio.

Better yet, with the addition of Harris, the Spurs' second unit could be bolstered with more offense. Johnson is still crucial to San Antonio's success, just perhaps not as much as he once was. Yet his physical defense, offensive rebounding, and 3-point shooting were all a big part of San Antonio's NBA Finals run.

He didn't have a strong playoff showing, but his performance in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals proves that Johnson can make a big impact. He just won't have as much of a chance with the addition of Harris, who threatens his future with the team.

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