The San Antonio Spurs are more than likely to retain a bench spark plug who won the 2026 NBA Sixth Man of the Year.
According to NBA insider Tim MacMahon, the Spurs are looking to sign Keldon Johnson to a contract extension after his breakthrough season last year, to win the best bench player award.
“I think there’s a good chance that he ends up with a new deal. I think there’s a pretty good chance,” MacMahon said on The Hoop Collective Podcast with Brian Windhorst.
“Yeah, after being their leading scorer when they were in a rebuild, you know? That dude is the soul of that locker room for sure,” MacMahon said.
Keldon Johnson Enters Contract Year With The Spurs
Johnson is entering the final season of his contract for the 2026-2027 NBA campaign, playing on a four-year, $74 million rookie scale extension.
His contract structure is highly team-friendly and descending, carrying a base salary of $17,500,000 with a total cap hit of $18,000,000 once likely incentives are included.
Johnson’s role is facing pressure due to a crowded wing rotation that features Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, Harrison Barnes and the newly signed Tobias Harris.
If he does not sign an extension, Johnson will become an unrestricted free agent in 2027.
There were some concerns about his future after his lackluster playoff performance last year and the emergence of fellow bench cog Dylan Harper last season. Nevertheless, his value remains unchanged, according to Windhorst.
“As anybody knows, he is 100% embraced being that sixth man, even if reality is he’s like seventh man,” Windhorst said on the podcast.
Johnson just averaged 7.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.9 assists across 23 games during the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
Johnson’s role shrank in the rotation as opponents neutralized his drives into packed paint, culminating in a difficult NBA Finals series against the New York Knicks where he averaged just 4.4 points per game.
Keldon Johnson’s Desire With The San Antonio Spurs Next Season
Keldon Johnson understands the Spurs’ desire to win it all with a group led by wunderkind Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, and Dylan Harper.
With that understanding, Johnson knows by heart the team’s ethos entering the new season.
“We just want to win,” Johnson said on media day. “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. Win as many games as possible and put ourselves in the best situation to win, so whatever’s asked of us, I know of myself, we go out there and do it no questions asked and get the job done.”
He also does not care what role he would play next season as long as it leads to wins.
Johnson has been with the Spurs since he was selected 29th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. Over the years, he has grown from a young prospect during the team’s rebuilding phase into a vital veteran presence and the longest-tenured player on the roster.
He is expected to be a do-it-all forward once again as the Spurs look to deliver on the hype from their previous NBA Finals appearance last season.
Spurs’ Bench Spark Expected To Get New Deal