Over the last seven seasons, Keldon Johnson has been the heart and soul of the San Antonio Spurs. Drafted 29th overall in 2019, he joined a team that was without Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Kawhi Leonard. In his first six seasons, the Spurs failed to make the playoffs. Up until this spring, he was the longest-tenured San Antonio player to never make the postseason.
In his sophomore season, he was thrust into the starting lineup. He quickly went on to establish himself as the team’s leading scorer, although the Spurs never found any team success. The franchise moved on from the likes of Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Lonnie Walker, Jeremy Sochan, Josh Primo, and Luka Samanic. Those guys were supposed to keep the Spurs competitive. Only Johnson and Devin Vassell are still in town.
In 2023, Johnson peaked. He averaged 22 points per game, matching the Spurs’ win total. That summer, they drafted Victor Wembanyama, moved Johnson to the bench, and kicked off a new era. Johnson cited the demotion as a low point, but continued to put on a happy face and do whatever the team needed of him.
As his contract nears its end, he’s not expected to stop making sacrifices.
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Keldon Johnson Expected to Take Spurs Pay Cut
Johnson is in the last season of a four-year, $74 million extension. When he signed the deal, he was expected to be a franchise guy for the Spurs. Instead, he became a bench staple. His next deal, no matter who he signs with, will not be as lucrative.
Barring an extension, he will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. The Spurs have to save money for Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle, so they can’t just throw cash his way as they did in 2022.
“The Spurs’ next four years are going to get very expensive,” wrote Paul Garcia, “bringing Keldon back on an extension complicates their payroll.”
Johnson could sign an extension before next offseason, although in order to lock him up long term and keep the young core intact, he’d have to be selfless.
“I’d be surprised to see an extension signed during the regular season unless he takes a massive pay cut, like $10 million annually,” predicted Garcia.
Well, why be selfish now? Despite the financial restrictions, the general belief is that the Spurs will, in fact, manage to bring him back.
“I think there’s a good chance that he ends up with a new deal,” said ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
He did not have the most productive playoffs, and guys like Harper, Julian Champagnie, and Carter Bryant are breaking out, likely burying Johnson even deeper on the depth chart. That’s never bothered him before, and his mindset is a big reason why the Spurs should be eager to keep him.
“Regardless of his contract, he has, as anybody knows, 100 percent embraced being that sixth man,” added Brian Windhorst. “Even if in reality he’s like a seventh man.”
It’s worth noting that Johnson owns a ranch in Boerne and has moved his family to Texas. He doesn’t seem eager to leave. Maybe, as Garcia outlined, he’d take a pay cut. Or maybe the Spurs will want to pay for his already-proven loyalty. If Castle and Harper follow Wembanyama’s example, there’s reason to believe that there could be more leftover money than expected for role players. If anyone gets a piece of that hypothetical pie, it should be Johnson.
Of course, if the money isn’t there, Johnson’s team-first attitude suggests that he’d be the first to sign a lesser deal just to stay in town.
There’s an argument to be made that Johnson is the most-suffering Spur ever. He withstood the entirety of the longest playoff drought in franchise history and came out the other end. It’s only fair if he gets to see it through.
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