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The San Antonio Spurs have decided to guarantee the contract of wing player Julian Champagnie after he started in more than half of their games during the 2023-24 season. With an August 1 deadline to make a decision, the Spurs opted to retain the 6-foot-7 undrafted player, likely due to his affordable contract.
Champagnie’s Contract Details
Champagnie signed a four-year, $12 million contract before the 2023-24 season, earning $3 million annually. The contract is non-guaranteed each season, giving San Antonio the option to decide before August 1 each year whether to keep him for the following season. The final year of the agreement, 2026-27, is a team option.
Champagnie’s Journey to the Spurs
After playing three seasons of college basketball for the St. John’s Red Storm from 2019 to 2022, Champagnie went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft. He initially signed a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers and made his NBA debut, playing in two games before being waived in February 2023. He then signed another two-way deal with the Spurs, where he impressed in 15 games, earning himself a long-term contract in the summer.
Performance in the 2023-24 Season
The 23-year-old became a surprising contributor for San Antonio last season, appearing in 74 games and starting in 59 of them. Champagnie averaged 6.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game, shooting 40.8 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from three-point range in 19.8 minutes per game. He notably hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 2.7 seconds left against his former team, the Philadelphia 76ers, on April 7, although the Spurs eventually lost the game 133-126 in overtime.
Despite his significant playing time last season, it is unlikely that Champagnie will continue as a regular starter for the Spurs after they acquired additional talent in the offseason, including forward Harrison Barnes.
Team Performance
The Spurs did not improve their win-loss record in 2023-24, finishing with a 22-60 record, identical to the previous year. This was despite adding generational talent Victor Wembanyama with the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. San Antonio missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season, having last made the postseason in 2019, marking the end of their NBA-record 22 straight playoff appearances.
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