Keldon Johnson gets 4-year, $80 million contract extension

The San Antonio Spurs have locked up forward Keldon Johnson for the long-term future.

Johnson will be with the franchise that drafted him for at least five more seasons, having agreed to a four-year, $80 million contract extension per his representative at Klutch Sports Agency via ESPN.

Johnson has a $3.8 million team option left on his rookie contract, so this will be in addition to that deal. Johnson played some with Team USA as well. His game and potential line up well with exactly how the Spurs want to play.

At 6-foot-5, he’s continued to improve year over year. This extension is a win-win situation, as San Antonio also didn’t overpay the 22-year-old.

Johnson is coming off his third season in the NBA which was, by far, the best of his career. He averaged 17 points per game was a drastic improvement from the 12.8 per game he averaged as a sophomore in the league. He also increased his threes made per game from 0.9 to 2.1, another key improvement.

His continued stretch of improvements as a rebounder, playmaker, and defender were key reasons why the Spurs see a long-term star in Johnson.

Having traded away Dejounte Murray this offseason as well, Johnson will see an increased role with San Antonio. He’ll be able to take that next step as a playmaker as well which should allow his numbers to skyrocket.

Johnson was the 29th-overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, a first-round that also featured players like Tyler Herro and PJ Washington. Johnson and Jordan Poole were taken at No. 28 and No. 29.

The scouting and late-round drafting are why teams like the Spurs and Golden State Warriors have been so great for so long.

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