Tobias Harris and the Case for Fewer Shots, Better Ones

By the Spurs Nightly Desk · Saturday, September 26

Tobias Harris returns for a 15th season as San Antonio's low-usage floor-spacer next to Victor Wembanyama, coming off the most efficient full season of his career. His starting job is not guaranteed, with Air Alamo already pushing Julian Champagnie as the better fit at forward.

Tobias Harris of the Spurs — Tobias Harris. Photo: MelchizedekNimrodYT, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

What is Tobias Harris's job on this roster?

He plays forward next to Victor Wembanyama's frontcourt, spacing the floor rather than creating for himself. Last season he used just 18.1 percent of San Antonio's possessions while shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from three, converting that limited role into a 57.4 true shooting mark. His job is to make the low-usage shots he takes count, not to expand his shot diet.

What stood out in Harris's numbers last season?

His efficiency outran his volume. Harris shot 86.6 percent from the free-throw line and posted a plus-10.0 net rating in 63 games, but he attempted only 3.5 threes a night despite hitting them at a 36.8 percent clip. A 12.0 percent assist rate and an 8.8 percent rebound rate confirm he is a complementary piece, not a focal point, on a team that already has its shot-creators elsewhere.

Is Julian Champagnie a threat to his starting spot?

Air Alamo's Maxwell Ogden argued the Spurs should lock Champagnie in as a starter over Harris despite Harris's track record, a sign the debate over the forward spot is already live before camp ends. Champagnie played all 82 games last season at a similar 27.6 minutes, giving Mitch Johnson a real alternative if he wants a younger wing alongside Wembanyama.

What does Harris's contract look like entering his 15th season?

Harris signed for $15.0 million this season and $15.8 million in 2027-28, the fifth-largest number on San Antonio's books behind Fox, Vassell, Johnson and Wembanyama. At 34 and in his 15th year, he is signed through next season on a deal that fits a rotation role rather than a max one.

Is Harris healthy heading into the season?

He is not on the injury report, with no ankle, knee or other issue listed as camp winds down before the opener. That clean slate matters for a 34-year-old forward whose value depends on staying available for depth-chart minutes across a long season, not on a fixed number of starts.

The verdictHarris needs to keep doing the same job at a lower cost of shots: hit the three, make the free throw, and let the box score stay modest while the efficiency stays high. Whether he starts over Champagnie matters less than whether that shooting line holds once games start.

Will Tobias Harris start for the Spurs this season?

That is unsettled. Air Alamo's Maxwell Ogden has argued for Julian Champagnie to start over him, and no starting five has been confirmed.

What is Tobias Harris's contract with the Spurs?

He is set to earn $15.0 million in 2026-27 and $15.8 million in 2027-28.