Julian Champagnie signed a four-year, $12 million contract with the San Antonio Spurs in June 2023. At the time, it was a bit confounding. Champagnie was undrafted, played just 17 games his rookie season — and was pretty solid in his limited opportunity — but four years (even at a low average salary) caught some folks by surprise.
Champagnie immediately paid off that deal in 2023-24, becoming a nightly part of the Spurs rotation. Then he got even better last year, playing all 82 games and increasing his volume across the board. This year, Champagnie has elevated once again and has become a vital piece of a Spurs team that has real postseason aspirations.