Former Sixers Developmental Prospect Receives Guarantee From Spurs

Former Philadelphia 76ers player Julian Champagnie is sticking with the Spurs.
Oct 3, 2022; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Yuta Watanabe (18) drives to the basket against Philadelphia 76ers guard Julian Champagnie (55) during the fourth quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 3, 2022; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Yuta Watanabe (18) drives to the basket against Philadelphia 76ers guard Julian Champagnie (55) during the fourth quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

It appears the San Antonio Spurs are going to continue working with a former Philadelphia 76ers developmental prospect, Julian Champagnie.

According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, the Spurs decided to fully guarantee Champagnie’s salary for the upcoming season. In 2024-2025, the young veteran will earn $3 million.

The former St. John’s standout’s journey in the NBA has been packed with uncertainty. As the 2022 NBA Draft came and went, Champagnie saw two rounds go by without getting his name called.

It wouldn’t be long before the Philadelphia 76ers brought him on.

Coming out of St. John’s, Champagnie started all but seven of the 88 games he appeared in over the course of three years. He averaged 16 points and seven rebounds while making 43 percent of his shots from the field in the NCAA.

When Champagnie joined the Sixers, he landed a two-way contract. As expected, Champagnie split time with the Sixers and their G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.

On the main roster, Champagnie landed just two games of action. He averaged three minutes on the court during that time. By the time the 2022-2023 season reached mid-February, Champagnie hit the waiver wire.

The San Antonio Spurs picked up Champagnie. He finished his rookie season on a two-way deal and made 15 appearances while averaging 21 minutes with the Spurs. Champagnie showed promise by producing 11 points and four rebounds per game. He knocked down 41 percent of his threes.

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Last summer, Champagnie signed a standard deal with the Spurs. In his first full season with the team, he made 59 starts, appearing in 74 total games. While averaging 20 minutes on the court, Champagnie scored on 41 percent of his field goals, producing seven points per game.

For the 2024-2025 NBA season, the Spurs hope to turn things around after battling through a rebuild recently. Champagnie is in the plans, as they are set to bring him back once again.

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Justin Grasso

JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA