Julian Champagnie's Value Isn't in Doing More

By the Spurs Nightly Desk · Tuesday, September 29

Julian Champagnie played all 82 games last season, shooting 38.1% on 6.2 three-point tries a night with a 60.9% true shooting mark on just 14.6% usage. His value showed up in the team's numbers more than his own box score, with a plus-12.4 net rating while he was on the floor, and San Antonio is paying him like a rotation piece through 2028-29.

Julian Champagnie of the Spurs — Julian Champagnie. Photo: Frenchieinportland, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

What is Julian Champagnie's role on this roster?

Champagnie is a floor-spacing forward built to play next to Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox, not to create his own shot. His usage rate sat at 14.6% last season, near the bottom of the regular rotation, while he still took 6.2 three-pointers a game. The Spurs use him as a shooter first, everything else second.

What stood out in his 2025-26 numbers?

Champagnie played all 82 games, averaging 11.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 27.6 minutes. He shot 43.7% from the field and 38.1% on those 6.2 three-point attempts, high volume paired with real accuracy, while adding 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks against just 0.8 turnovers a game. Only Keldon Johnson matched his 82 games among the regulars around him.

Do the advanced numbers back up that role?

They do. Champagnie posted a 120.4 offensive rating and 108.0 defensive rating last season, a net rating of plus-12.4 with him on the floor. His true shooting sat at 60.9% despite that low usage, evidence that a player who rarely creates his own shot can still move the score in the Spurs' favor.

What does his contract say about his role going forward?

Champagnie is signed through three more seasons: $13.9M this year, $15.0M in 2027-28 and $16.1M in 2028-29. That is rotation-piece money, not star money, and it locks him into San Antonio's frontcourt mix alongside Tobias Harris, Harrison Barnes and Luke Kornet for the length of the deal.

Is his health a concern this season?

No. Champagnie is not on the injury report, and last season he was one of two Spurs regulars, along with Keldon Johnson, to play all 82 games. That durability matters for a wing whose value comes from being on the floor every night next to a frontcourt anchored by Wembanyama and Kornet.

The verdictJulian Champagnie does not need a bigger role this season, he needs the same one: efficient, low-usage, on the floor every night. The math already worked in his favor last season, and the Spurs are paying him to keep it that way through 2028-29.

How many three-pointers does Julian Champagnie take a game?

He averaged 6.2 three-point attempts per game last season, making 38.1% of them.

What is Julian Champagnie's contract with the Spurs?

He is signed for $13.9M in 2026-27, $15.0M in 2027-28 and $16.1M in 2028-29.