SAN ANTONIO — At this point, it’s nothing new for Julian Champagnie. Fifty minutes of grace is actually pretty decent compared to some of the notice he’s received before.
The San Antonio Spurs forward was preparing to come off the bench Thursday evening when De’Aaron Fox, who arrived at Frost Bank Center feeling sore from the team’s morning shootaround, was scratched from the team’s preseason opener against the Atlanta Hawks. Suddenly, Champagnie had a different assignment. He was starting. Again.
For a player who started 68 games last season, the change wasn’t particularly daunting. Neither was the possibility of returning to the bench once Fox was healthy enough to play.
Champagnie has spent the better part of four seasons learning to make himself useful, regardless of his role in San Antonio. His approach during that span hasn’t changed much.
“I don’t think it’s a thing I’m paying attention to,” Champagnie said during Media Day. “I think we all have (one) goal … to win. However we get there is however we get there. No matter who starts or doesn’t start, that doesn’t play a big role in where things are going.”
Against Atlanta, Champagnie made good on his unexpected opportunity. He scored 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting in 18 minutes, hitting two of his four attempts from beyond the arc.
Champagnie scored San Antonio’s final two baskets of the first half, including a corner 3-pointer that gave him double figures before halftime — a familiar showing from a player whose contributions have become increasingly reliable during his four years in San Antonio.
Last season, Champagnie averaged 11.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 38.1 percent from 3-point range. He appeared in all 82 regular-season games and broke Danny Green’s franchise record for made 3-pointers in a season, finishing with 195.
His contributions extended well beyond shooting. Champagnie became an important piece of San Antonio’s defensive rotations and rebounding efforts, earning praise from coach Mitch Johnson as the Spurs advanced to their first NBA Finals since 2014.
“He’s been an absolute unsung hero,” Johnson said during the postseason. “Julian’s been an integral part of our team defense, team rebounding, and all that leads to us playing fast, which is our best version of our offense … he’s been absolutely phenomenal.”
Champagnie’s value, in that sense, has never been limited to his place in the starting five.
“I feel like he’s a Swiss Army Knife,” Dylan Harper said during training camp. “He gives you whatever you need. Anytime his number is called, which is … a lot, he’s going to deliver time and time again. We’re blessed to have him here. I wouldn’t want to play against him.”
Added Johnson: “Julian’s done whatever’s asked of him, and he’s a great reflection of what we’ll need from a lot of people this year in a lot of different ways.”
For Champagnie, the mindset he’s been lauded for throughout his tenure as a Spur is the same approach that helped him find a home in San Antonio in the first place.
Undrafted out of St. John’s in 2022, Champagnie signed a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers before being waived on Valentine’s Day the following year.
Two days later, the Spurs offered him another chance. He hasn’t forgotten it.
“As far as I’m concerned, San Antonio was the only team that gave me the opportunity that I was looking for,” Champagnie said. “I feel like I’m forever in their debt. Being able to still be here and … continue to work and build and grow with this team has been an honor.”
His first months with the organization were spent proving he belonged. Gregg Popovich challenged him to become more than a shooter, emphasizing defense and the importance of developing into a complete NBA player if he wanted to have a long career in the NBA.
Champagnie listened. In July 2023, he earned a four-year, $12 million contract. This summer, he tacked on another three years worth more annually than his last deal combined.
“Signing that definitely made me look back and just kind of pat myself on the back and say, alright, you did something right, you figured it out,” Champagnie said, asked about his new contract. “There’s still more to go, but you’re on the right way and the right path.”
Champagnie played a large role in the Spurs reaching the NBA Finals, establishing himself as one of their most dependable role players. But the roster around him has grown considerably more talented, leaving Johnson with difficult decisions about how to distribute minutes.
As far as he’s concerned, he has a duty to be honest with his players while remaining fair. And if anyone has put in enough work to earn a spot in the rotation, it’s Champagnie.
“He’s went the long way like a few of them,” the coach began, “like Keldon (Johnson) and Devin (Vassell), when the circumstances were a little bit different around team success. They laid a lot of the foundation that we are still trying to build upon today.”
Champagnie could find himself on the bench more frequently than last season, especially with the addition of Tobias Harris and the growing need for a larger role for Dylan Harper.
He understands that possibility, even if his experience as a starter makes the adjustment different from what it once was. His preparation might change. His priorities won’t.
In that sense, Keldon Johnson, who may see a decrease in minutes himself, can relate.
“We just want to win,” Johnson said after the Spurs’ Silver & Black Open Scrimmage. “We’re a team. We’re a pretty tight group. Whether it’s starting or coming off the bench, our main objective is to win … as many games as possible and put ourselves in the best situation(s).”
For the Spurs, that willingness could become particularly valuable as they attempt to build on last season’s Finals appearance. Their depth creates opportunities, but it also requires players accustomed to significant minutes to accept potentially smaller roles.
Champagnie has already demonstrated he can do both. Whether he’s starting on short notice, spacing the floor for San Antonio’s guards or helping anchor a second unit, the expectation remains the same. It’s one he’s spent his entire career preparing to meet.
“I just like being here,” Champagnie reiterated. “Whatever he (Mitch Johnson) need me to do … whatever the team needs me to do, that’s how I’m going to do it.”
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