Keldon Johnson

The Spurs undertook the first stage of a rebuild last season after losing DeMar DeRozan to the Bulls. Dejounte Murray was the clear leader of the team, but Johnson also proved to be one of his top running mates. He stepped up his production, averaging 17.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.1 three-pointers across 32 minutes per game. While his 21.3 percent usage rate was the highest of his career, it was still a fairly modest mark. The main reason for his spike in points per game was that he shot 39.8 percent from behind the arc on 5.3 attempts per game. The season prior, he shot 33.1 percent on 2.6 attempts per game. This offseason saw Murray get dealt to the Hawks, further thrusting the Spurs into their rebuild. They have not added any significant veterans, so Johnson has a chance to lead the team in usage rate. If he can maintain his efficiency from behind the arc with an increased workload, he could become extremely valuable. There is some risk that comes with drafting him, though, as the Spurs could be one of the teams that sit some of their better players down the stretch of the season to improve their chances of obtaining the top pick in the 2023 Draft.

After an encouraging end to his rookie campaign in 2019-20, Johnson took another step forward last season, putting up 12.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 28.5 minutes per game. With the Spurs finally poised to enter a rebuild, Johnson will likely be entrusted with a larger workload this season -- particularly after Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozan departed in free agency. He'll still have to compete with new arrivals Thaddeus Young and Doug McDermott, but Johnson will have the inside track to a starting frontcourt spot. If things break right, Johnson could push for top-75 value, though for that to happen he'll need to improve his free throw shooting and defensive numbers.

As a late first-round selection, Johnson didn't find immediate NBA playing time. Instead, he spent most of the season with the Austin Spurs of the G-League. The Kentucky product found success in the G-League, averaging 20.3 points, 5.8 boards, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steals across his 31 appearances. Though Johnson didn't get much NBA playing time in his first season, he played well when on the court, particularly at the end of the year. Johnson appeared in all eight of the Spurs' bubble games and averaged 14.1 points, 5.0 boards, 1.1 assists, 1.1 steals while stroking 1.4 threes across 26.1 minutes per contest. He was particularly effective as a scorer, notching three games of at least 20 points, including back-to-back 24-point showings in the final two games. Johnson has shown his offensive chops and proven that he can be a quality scoring option, though he'll have a tough time finding minutes on the wing in this offense. He'll compete with the likes of Derrick White, DeMar DeRozan, Lonnie Walker, Rudy Gay and rookie Devin Vassell.

A freshman out of Kentucky, Johnson was selected by the Spurs with the 29th overall pick in the 2019 Draft. The 6-foot-6, 210-pound forward started 36 of 37 appearances, averaging 13.5 points (46.1 FG%, 38.1 3P%, 70.3 FT%), 5.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists across 30.7 minutes. Those numbers helped him secure both the SEC Freshman of the Year award, as well as making the Second Team All-SEC (Coaches). During summer league, Johnson played in five games, averaging 12.2 points on 9.2 shots, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 steal in 22.2 minutes. It seems unlikely he'll garner many minutes in the NBA as a rookie, as the Spurs have no shortage of wing players. Chances are, Johnson will head down to the G League for a significant portion of the season to get some on-court experience.