The 22-year-old forward Keldon Johnson and the San Antonio Spurs have agreed to a four-year, $80 million extension. The news was announced by his representative Lucas Newton of the Klutch Sports Agency. He has spent three seasons with the Spurs after being selected as the 29th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. He is set to receive the dream contract extension in the the 23/24 season.
San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson has agreed to a four-year, $80 million contract extension, Klutch Sports’ CEO Rich Paul and agent Lucas Newton tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 16, 2022
Keldon, nicknamed “Big Body” for his strong frame and hard drives to the basket, will be the first player to receive a rookie scale extension that isn’t a maximum-salary deal, according to our insider information. However, after struggling with shooting form during his first two years, Big Body improved as an outside shooter in ’21/22, increasing his three-point percentage by nearly seven percent.
Last season, the 22-year-old was one of San Antonio’s best players, appearing in 75 games (31.9 MPG) and averaging 17.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 2.1 APG on.466/.398/.756 shooting. He instantaneously surpassed expectations with his court-breaking performances, and if he keeps developing rapidly, this deal could be a bargain.
Two weeks prior to this agreement, the spurs traded All-star guard Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Danilo Gallinari along with three future first-round picks in the NBA drafts. Murray averaged 21.1 points per game in the last season with the Spurs. On the other hand, the Spurs finished 34-48 and were eliminated from playoff contention after falling to the Pelicans in the Play-In Tournament.
