Julian Champagine’s Game 7 Heroics Showcased the Sixers’ Biggest Flaw

If you kicked yourself every time Jared McCain scored in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, you probably pinched your arm in response to Julian Champagnie’s 20 points on Saturday night.

What do both players have in common? They are former Sixers, of course.

Julian Champagnie (20 PTS, 6-10 3PM) played a HUGE part in the @spurs' Game 7 win tonight!

He joins Klay Thompson (2016) and Stephen Curry (2x) as the only players in NBA history to knock down 6+ 3PM in a Conference Finals Game 7 🚨 pic.twitter.com/zoWkyAmR3p
— NBA (@NBA) May 31, 2026

Champagnie and McCain notably contributed to their respective teams throughout the postseason, helping the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder push each other to seven in the west finals. Their respective growth is a product of them being on teams that have patience for their players to develop. Champagnie and McCain did not have that luxury with the Sixers, reflecting Philadelphia’s biggest flaw.

The Sixers blew it with Champagnie

The Sixers’ problem wasn’t finding hidden gems, it was keeping them. Philadelphia’s seeming ambition to stay below the luxury tax threshold encouraged its front office to dispose of players who have a solid ceiling but are not contributing right away. Another part of it was the Sixers simply being short-sighted, something Champagnie knows about all too well.

Philadelphia signed him to a two-way contract in July 2022 as an undrafted free agent coming out of St. John’s. Champagnie, a 6-foot-7 wing, had potential as a three-and-D guy but only played two games in the 2022-23 season without scoring before the Sixers waived him in February 2023. The Spurs claimed him off waivers two days later.

Julian:

"I thought it was over. I ain't gonna lie to you. Getting waived with no warning, no nothing, explanation or anything, it was tough. Big, big shout out to the San Antonio Spurs taking an opportunity to a kid from Brooklyn" https://t.co/awnFPLVtql pic.twitter.com/5LbOdH86Nq
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) May 31, 2026

Daryl Morey and company parted with him because they wanted to ink Mac McClung to a two-way contract since he was going to participate in the dunk contest.

Was it cool to see McClung win it in a Philadelphia uniform? Sure.

But, for all of McClung’s athleticism and G-League success, he was not an NBA player.

Champagnie was, but it was a process. The Spurs let him sustain growing pains, his role and points per game gradually increasing from 2023-24 to 2025-26. He is now a starter on a Finals-bound team as well as a textbook fit alongside Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio’s guard trio. Meanwhile, the Sixers do not have a reliable player with Champagnie’s skill set at small forward.

There is Justin Edwards

But Philadelphia does have Justin Edwards, a player of Champagnie’s mold who is not quite there yet. He had an underwhelming sophomore year, tallying six points on 44.7% shooting from the field, a 4.1-point decrease from 2024-25. Yet Edwards is still 22 years old and on a team-friendly three-year, $7 million deal.

I am not saying Edwards will be just as good or better than Champagnie, but Philadelphia must be patient with its young guys like Edwards, rather than needlessly flipping them, because that’s the key to building a sustainable team in the second tax apron era. But the front office and ownership need to be aligned with these things.

Fortunately for the Sixers, incoming President of Basketball Operations Mike Ganseyhas found hidden talent and kept those players around. However, he was a part of a Cleveland Cavaliers organization that was willing to spend. Perhaps with Gansey and Bob Myers’ leadership, Philadelphia can turn a new leaf and avoid any Champagnie or McCain-type mistakes.

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