A day before the NBA started its free agency period, the Spurs’ front office signed Julian Champagnie to new contract ESPN hoops contributor Shams Charania, citing unnamed sources, reported will be worth $45 million over three years.
The Spurs declined Champagnie’s $3 million team option and reached an agreement keeping him with the team through the 2028-29 season.
The new contract comes as a well-earned reward after the 25-year-old sharpshooter posted a career year in stats, averaging 11.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists, including a franchise record for 3-pointers in a game when he connected for 11 in a win over New York on New Year’s Eve.
Reaching an agreement before free agency gives the Spurs the reassurance of retaining a key starter from last year’s success plus the financial flexibility for free agency starting Tuesday evening.
Champagnie was waived by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2023. The Spurs picked up the undrafted forward, and he has started 156 games over the past three seasons.
General Manager Brian Wright also took care of returning a locker room veteran this week, signing forward Harrison Barnes on a team-friendly one-year $8 million deal.
Barnes, in his 14th year in the NBA, provided critical leadership for a very young Spurs team in its Finals run. The a former champion with the Golden State Warriors also averaging 9.9 points and shooting 38.8% for his threes.
“Harrison Barnes is as professional and as good a veteran as you could want in your locker room,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said.
With the Spurs’ early moves in the offseason, the team’s cap space allows it to pursue a player at the $15 million-per-year mark .That gives San Antonio multiple options to fill the power forward role missing in the playoffs.
Sign Up for SA Current newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed
