Julian Champagnie Transforms Spurs Season After Philadelphia Released Him for Dunk Contest

Julian Champagnie has emerged as a critical piece of the San Antonio Spurs' championship run after being waived by the Philadelphia 76ers in February 2023 to make room for Slam Dunk Contest competitor Mac McClung. The undrafted guard now plays on a four-year contract worth $12 million and delivered 20 points in a Game 7 Western Conference victory that secured the Spurs' path to the NBA Finals.

From Waived to Finals Contributor

Champagnie signed with the 76ers organization in 2022 after going undrafted from St. John's University. He spent most of his time between Philadelphia's G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, and appeared in just two NBA games without scoring a point. When McClung, a G League veteran known for his dunking ability, required an NBA roster spot to compete in the league's annual dunk contest, the 76ers waived Champagnie without warning.

The dismissal hit hard. At 22 years old and watching his professional dreams fade, Champagnie initially believed his NBA career had ended before it truly began. However, within two days of his release, the struggling Spurs—then in the midst of a 22-win season—signed him to a contract. Head coach Gregg Popovich identified Champagnie's shooting ability as valuable to the team's long-term direction, even as San Antonio awaited the draft lottery that would deliver Victor Wembanyama months later.

Building Value in San Antonio

Champagnie's willingness to fit into the team's needs paid dividends. After the Spurs drafted Wembanyama, they committed to Champagnie with a four-year, $12 million deal—translating to $3 million annually. This season, he averaged a career-high 11.1 points per game on 43 percent shooting from three-point range, establishing himself as one of the league's most cost-effective rotation players.

A pivotal moment arrived in late December when newly promoted head coach Mitch Johnson replaced veteran starter Harrison Barnes with Champagnie. The swap gave San Antonio additional spacing around its young core, including recent acquisitions Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, plus trade acquisition De'Aaron Fox. In the Western Conference clincher against defending champion Thunder, Champagnie connected on six of ten three-point attempts to finish with 20 points—the team's second-highest total. Johnson praised him as an "unsung hero" whose gravity and shooting floor spacing benefits the offense regardless of whether shots fall.