Spurs signing Julian Champagnie to new 3-year, $45 million deal after NBA Finals run
Julian Champagnie is signing a new three-year, $45 million deal with the San Antonio Spurs after the team declined his $3 million option for the upcoming season, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
Champagnie, 25, played in all 82 games for San Antonio during the regular season and averaged 11.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Replacing Harrison Barnes as the starting small forward, he was one of the Spurs’ top 3-point shooters, hitting 38% of his team-high 512 attempts. He was even better in the playoffs, shooting 39.6% from behind the arc.
With 195 3-pointers made, Champagnie set a franchise record, surpassing the previous mark set by Danny Green during the 2014-15 season.
Julian Champagnie (20 PTS, 6-10 3PM) played a HUGE part in the @spurs' Game 7 win tonight!
— NBA (@NBA) May 31, 2026
He joins Klay Thompson (2016) and Stephen Curry (2x) as the only players in NBA history to knock down 6+ 3PM in a Conference Finals Game 7 🚨 pic.twitter.com/zoWkyAmR3p
The fourth-year forward was also a key piece for the Spurs throughout their run to the NBA Finals. San Antonio beat the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the Western Conference and reached the Finals for the first time since 2014, but they ended up falling to the New York Knicks.
San Antonio went into the offseason at a projected $41 million below the luxury tax, giving the team plenty of money to provide some frontcourt help for Victor Wembanyama in addition to bolstering backcourt depth behind De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper.
Champagnie went unselected in the 2022 NBA Draft out of St. John’s. He signed a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, but was waived during the 2022-23 season. The Spurs picked him up off waivers and he’s become a vital part of the team’s rotation, playing in all 82 games during the past two seasons.
In the 2026 NBA Draft, San Antonio selected Kentucky center Jayden Quaintance with the No. 20 overall pick. The Spurs also drafted Arkansas forward Trevon Brazile and Duke forward Maliq Brown in the second round, giving them a sudden depth of big men.
