The San Antonio Spurs made a splash this summer by securing veteran forward Tobias Harris on a two-year, $30.8 million deal. Bringing in a battle-tested 15-year veteran who has started nearly every game of his career is a clear signal that the front office is aggressively building around Victor Wembanyama following a thrilling run to the NBA Finals.
However, despite Harris’ impressive resume and individual talent, San Antonio shouldn’t let his arrival alter a single thing about Julian Champagnie’s standing in the starting lineup.
The Synergy with Victor Wembanyama
While Harris boasts a decorated track record—including starting all 63 games for a 60-win Detroit Pistons squad last season—Champagnie has firmly earned his right to anchor the wing spot alongside the franchise cornerstone.
The numbers speak for themselves. According to Cleaning the Glass, during the 2,596 possessions that Wembanyama and Champagnie shared the floor last season:
- The Spurs outscored opponents by a staggering 20.1 points per 100 possessions.
- When Wembanyama played without Champagnie, that net rating plummeted down to 9.9.
- Furthermore, Wembanyama averaged 4.8 more points per 75 possessions and saw his true shooting percentage jump by 4.5 percent with Champagnie by his side.
That synergy is rooted in elite complementary skills. Champagnie provides high-end floor spacing, commanding respect as an elite catch-and-shoot threat (finishing in the 80th percentile in efficiency and 87th in off-ball gravity) while setting a franchise record with 195 made three-pointers last year. Defensively, his positional versatility allows him to switch seamlessly across positions 1 through 4, perfectly covering for any gaps on the perimeter.
Protecting the Core’s Momentum
To disrupt the chemistry of a 62-win Finals team by benching a proven 25-year-old rising contributor for an incoming veteran would be a risky gamble. Champagnie rewarded the franchise’s belief this summer by signing a well-deserved three-year, $45 million extension, proving he is a pillar of the team’s long-term future.
While Harris will undoubtedly provide invaluable veteran leadership, elite depth, and stability off the bench, Julian Champagnie’s chemistry with Wembanyama makes him the definitive choice to keep starting.
Do you think Tobias Harris will eventually challenge for a starting spot, or is his veteran presence better utilized as a stabilizing force for the second unit?
