Keldon Johnson is heading into his eighth NBA season with a smaller role and a lighter frame. The San Antonio Spurs are expected to use him off the bench, a shift that puts him behind Dervin Vassell, Julian Champagnie and Tobias Harris as the season opens.
That is a different place than the one Johnson has occupied across seven seasons with the Spurs, when he moved from G League staple to starter to leading scorer to third-option and then, reluctantly at first, to the bench. What once looked like a slight eventually turned into a role he embraced as team success piled up, and now the veteran is again being asked to adjust.
He said the adjustment should not change the way he plays, only the way he is used. Johnson averaged 19.9 minutes per game in the preseason, and he said he needs to stay ready for whenever his number is called. He also said he feels faster, just as strong and better when lighter, adding that his body feels good and that he likes where he is at.
The weight change is part of the story because it ties directly to how the Spurs want him to move. Johnson reportedly lost around 30 pounds in the summer of 2024, then gained that weight back over the season. Mitch Johnson said he does not think anyone would see him as lacking strength, and said there can be more positives than negatives if a player is leaner, more mobile and able to play longer with more energy. He pointed to Keldon Johnson’s energy as proof of that change.
For the Spurs, the question is not whether Johnson can still help. It is how much of him they will need once the games start to count. Carter Bryant is also expected to break out, which only tightens the rotation around Johnson as the Spurs prepare for Tuesday’s opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder. If the preseason minutes are any guide, his role may be smaller than it has been in years, but his job remains the same: come off the bench and change the game with energy when the Spurs need it most.
