Player The Refurbished Budget Wine Cellar of Julian Champagnie

[O_V]

Our guy ranks #27 in 3PM and #76 in 3P%. I wouldn't call his omission a snub.

Fair enough. What is Dame ranked?

 

[John B]

I think he’s one of the leader in 4pt play. Champ has quick release and is not shy. Still he’s still very streaky. What I like about Champ is he’s it JUST a catch and shoot. He’s added a step into the basket when defenders close in, on top of rebounding and playing good defense

 

[O_V]

Our guy ranks #27 in 3PM and #76 in 3P%. I wouldn't call his omission a snub.

On second thought, he's the leading three point shooter on the team with the third best record in the league. It's a snub.

 

[Dex]

On second thought, he's the leading three point shooter on the team with the third best record in the league. It's a snub.

On third thought, at least we don't have to worry about him going out there and embarrassing himself.

I like Champ especially for his contact, but I still don't put him up there with the elite shooters in the league. Good, yes...but not great.

 

[scott]

Fair enough. What is Dame ranked?

He's one of the greatest 3 point contest participants of all time... the league is trying to find ways to make it interesting, just like they did with Steph v Sabrina a few years ago...

One can debate whether or not Dame should be included, but it's not Champ who got snubbed.

And for the "NBA always overlooks the Spurs" crowd... for the second straight year we have a participant in every other contest of the weekend besides the 3pt contest. If we want a 3pt Contest Participant, maybe we should be better than the 23rd best 3pt shooting team.

 

[O_V]

On third thought, at least we don't have to worry about him going out there and embarrassing himself.

I like Champ especially for his contact, but I still don't put him up there with the elite shooters in the league. Good, yes...but not great.

Yeah, no, you're right. It's a homer take on my part. Fuck Damian Lillard's overrated decrepit ass, though.

 

[O_V]

He's one of the greatest 3 point contest participants of all time... the league is trying to find ways to make it interesting, just like they did with Steph v Sabrina a few years ago...

One can debate whether or not Dame should be included, but it's not Champ who got snubbed.

And for the "NBA always overlooks the Spurs" crowd... for the second straight year we have a participant in every other contest of the weekend besides the 3pt contest. If we want a 3pt Contest Participant, maybe we should be better than the 23rd best 3pt shooting team.

What's Craig Hodges doing that weekend?

 

[Paramore]

 

[buttsR4rebounding]

Over the summer I thought that the Spurs should work on a long term extension for Champ by opting out of his last year and blending a salary rate over 4 years. However, I realize now that would likely mean losing him in the likely expansion draft that I believe will occur in the summer of 2028. Teams will be allowed to protect 8 players. I think Wemby, Castle, Fox, Harper, Vassel, KJ, Kornet, and CB are likely the 8 the Spurs protect. If the Spurs are interested in keeping Champ I wonder if they work out a deal to re-sign him as a FA. That might also lead the Spurs to trade their FRP this year if they don't win the lottery again. Of course, they may leave Vassel unprotected thinking worse case they get off his contract, but he has been balling out this year.

 

[King_kev]

Over the summer I thought that the Spurs should work on a long term extension for Champ by opting out of his last year and blending a salary rate over 4 years. However, I realize now that would likely mean losing him in the likely expansion draft that I believe will occur in the summer of 2028. Teams will be allowed to protect 8 players. I think Wemby, Castle, Fox, Harper, Vassel, KJ, Kornet, and CB are likely the 8 the Spurs protect. If the Spurs are interested in keeping Champ I wonder if they work out a deal to re-sign him as a FA. That might also lead the Spurs to trade their FRP this year if they don't win the lottery again. Of course, they may leave Vassel unprotected thinking worse case they get off his contract, but he has been balling out this year.

This fella can see the future… ATL Spur this you?

 

[CGD]

Lot of basketball life can happen between now and an expansion draft. I can see only Wemby, Harper, and Castle being locks for protection.

As discussed elsewhere, expansion draft might be an elegant way to dispose of big contracts like Fox and Dev. I would also expect the Spurs to keep “value” contacts like Luke, rookie scale guys, and Champ (if he hasnt played himself into a bigger deal already)

 

[Hoopdreams11]

There are 29 other teams in the expansion draft, Thunder should be worried more.

 

[buttsR4rebounding]

There are 29 other teams in the expansion draft, Thunder should be worried more.

Not really. Teams can only lose 1 player. No doubt OKC will lose one. They are incredibly deep though and can likely plug the hole better than we can at this point. Right now (and CGD's point about 2 years being a long time in the NBA is well taken) SA would be hard pressed to replace what Champ brings to the table.

 

[Bruno]

Over the summer I thought that the Spurs should work on a long term extension for Champ by opting out of his last year and blending a salary rate over 4 years. However, I realize now that would likely mean losing him in the likely expansion draft that I believe will occur in the summer of 2028. Teams will be allowed to protect 8 players. I think Wemby, Castle, Fox, Harper, Vassel, KJ, Kornet, and CB are likely the 8 the Spurs protect. If the Spurs are interested in keeping Champ I wonder if they work out a deal to re-sign him as a FA. That might also lead the Spurs to trade their FRP this year if they don't win the lottery again. Of course, they may leave Vassel unprotected thinking worse case they get off his contract, but he has been balling out this year.

I've had the same thought that a future expansion might push Spurs to trade their first round pick away, but, after looking at it, the whole expansion process is said to take between 3 and 5 years. 2029 is too far in the future to start worrying about protected players.

https://www.theringer.com/2025/02/18/nba/nba-expansion-teams-las-vegas-seattle-adam-silver-future

About that: The process hasn’t actually begun, either, and it’s not clear when it will. League sources say it could take three to five years from the time the expansion process begins to the day the new teams actually take the court.

 

[Ariel]

Historically it's been about 2 years:

Franchise(s)	Awarded/Decided	Expansion Draft	Time Elapsed
Charlotte Bobcats	January 2003	June 22, 2004	~17 Months
Toronto & Vancouver	Sept 1993 / Feb 1994	June 24, 1995	~16–21 Months
Minnesota & Orlando	April 1987	June 15, 1989	~26 Months
Charlotte & Miami	April 1987	June 23, 1988	~14 Months

I don't think we'd be 5 years out, but more like 3. In any case, it's long enough that you can't pass on a prospect you'd like to draft or FA you'd like to sign. Also, you still have the ability to negotiate with the expansion teams and send them some assets if you'd likely be affected, with the veiled threat of selling your most valuable exposed assets before the expansion draft if they don't want to budge. That should serve as an incentive for them to accept a reasonable deal, like sending one of the expansion teams a late first rounder to take on a (non albatross) contract you'd like to rid yourself of, then you get to keep all your guys. Or something to that effect.

 

[scott]

Over the summer I thought that the Spurs should work on a long term extension for Champ by opting out of his last year and blending a salary rate over 4 years. However, I realize now that would likely mean losing him in the likely expansion draft that I believe will occur in the summer of 2028. Teams will be allowed to protect 8 players. I think Wemby, Castle, Fox, Harper, Vassel, KJ, Kornet, and CB are likely the 8 the Spurs protect. If the Spurs are interested in keeping Champ I wonder if they work out a deal to re-sign him as a FA. That might also lead the Spurs to trade their FRP this year if they don't win the lottery again. Of course, they may leave Vassel unprotected thinking worse case they get off his contract, but he has been balling out this year.

If this is when the expansion draft occurred, I'd find it much more likely we'd leave Fox and Vassell unprotected while keeping Champ who will still be on a relative bargain of a deal (if he extends in the range of what we are all thinking)

 

[scott]

Historically it's been about 2 years:

Franchise(s)	Awarded/Decided	Expansion Draft	Time Elapsed
Charlotte Bobcats	January 2003	June 22, 2004	~17 Months
Toronto & Vancouver	Sept 1993 / Feb 1994	June 24, 1995	~16–21 Months
Minnesota & Orlando	April 1987	June 15, 1989	~26 Months
Charlotte & Miami	April 1987	June 23, 1988	~14 Months

I don't think we'd be 5 years out, but more like 3. In any case, it's long enough that you can't pass on a prospect you'd like to draft or FA you'd like to sign. Also, you still have the ability to negotiate with the expansion teams and send them some assets if you'd likely be affected, with the veiled threat of selling your most valuable exposed assets before the expansion draft if they don't want to budge. That should serve as an incentive for them to accept a reasonable deal, like sending one of the expansion teams a late first rounder to take on a (non albatross) contract you'd like to rid yourself of, then you get to keep all your guys. Or something to that effect.

Does SEA have a stadium ready to go? I'd imagine that would be a big variable in the timing. I'd assume wherever the NHL Kraken play would probably be suitable (yep, looks ready to go: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_Pledge_Arena)... so if they agree to expansion, even if they agree to SEA and LAS right away it's probably at least a 12 month process to accept bids from prospective owners. I imagine they'll also accept bids from other cities, but that shouldn't really change the timeline too much. So that would take a year and it looks like 24 months is the high end of the range once the actual franchise has been awarded... so summer of 29 sounds right on the nose.

Silver has already completely shot down the idea of relocation, and I'm honestly surprised there has never been talk of Nashville going after the Grizzlies. I wonder if GrizzliesTalk.com has it's own version of "Austin are taking the Spurs" they talk about. NOP would be the another main candidate to be relocated.

 

[Millennial_Messiah]

Julian Champagnie is Choo-Choo Gary Neal
Devin Vassell is Long D*** N****

 

[poopbox]

Better enjoy him next season cause he is going to be due a raise after that spurs might not be able to afford.

 

[spurraider21]

Better enjoy him next season cause he is going to be due a raise after that spurs might not be able to afford.

they probably redo his contract this summer. use the team option as leverage, and negotiate a deal where you decline the team option and give him a new contract

 

[BatManu20]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2027240070076375306

 

[O_V]

First guy to do a team-friendly contract will set the tone for everyone else. The next guy who gets a contract, if he forces the Spurs to give him the max, this team won't be able to stay together.

 

[Ariel]

decline and re-sign incoming.

 

[Paramore]

Julian, Prince of Arrows!

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[BatManu20]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2027532288796594284