12 Reasons Tobias Harris Should Start for the Spurs

One of the biggest questions facing San Antonio before next season is who will start at power forward between Julian Champagnie and newly-acquired veteran Tobias Harris, who could be the missing piece for the Spurs.

May 1, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (12) dribbles the ball against the Orlando Magic in the second quarter during game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

LAS VEGAS -- The basketball world convened inside the air-conditioned oasis of the Thomas & Mack Center, both to watch the newest prospects at Summer League and to discuss topics as hot as the air fryer of Vegas in July.

Where will LeBron play next? What's going on with Kawhi and the Aspiration investigation? That Gary Trent Jr. thing sure is weird. Victor Wembanyama took less money, and the Celtics traded Jaylen Brown, and what does that all mean for the collective bargaining agreement and the way teams operate in the apron era? The Lakers made a bunch of moves including a big gamble on Walker Kessler. The Giannis trade barely registered on the Richter scale.

It makes sense that those stories are the ones dominating headlines, and plenty of ink has been spilled about them by people smarter than me. When I saw those people around, I asked them a couple of questions about a story that has hardly been a blip on the radar this NBA offseason, but could help decide a champion in 11 months.

"How do you feel about the Spurs signing Tobias Harris?"

The consensus from people I spoke with, from the Spurs orbit to basketball operations folks and media members across the league, is that Harris will be an impactful addition to what the Spurs already have cooking.

"He's exactly what they were missing," said one reporter who summed up the overall feelings on the acquisition around the league.

On his show Zach Lowe praised the move as "purely additive," which feels like an excellent description.

By signing Harris, the Spurs are saying loud and clear after their Finals run that they wanted to make a sensible upgrade instead of a seismic change. Switching up the starting five that got San Antonio within a few wins of the Larry O'Brien trophy is a risk, but of all the players they could have realistically brought in this summer, Harris is the one who makes the most sense as a starter.

"Will Tobias Harris start for the Spurs?"

When I asked this follow up to people outside the Spurs, responses took a second and ranged from "I don't think so" to "yeah, probably" in a way that showed that the answer isn't clear cut and the person being asked hadn't thought too much about the question until right then.

A majority of them wound up in the "yeah, probably" camp, and for a variety of reasons I would guess that they're correct. Let's go through them.

1. Tobias Harris is Really Good

For a while now, NBA fans at large have struggled to understand that Tobias Harris is a really good basketball player. That's mainly because many seven summers ago the Philadelphia 76ers decided to pay him a 5-year max contract worth $180 million and trade Jimmy Butler.

The business side of this sport has become so intertwined in the media coverage and the discussions amongst fans because it has such an outsized impact on the team you can construct and the success you can have. A very good player on a long-term max contract is seen as a distressed asset by GMs around the league, and on a perception level Harris' excellent production stands in the shadow of the deal he signed two contracts ago.

Nov 2, 2019; Portland, OR, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward James Ennis III (11) and 76ers forward Tobias Harris (12) celebrate after teammate Philadelphia's guard Ben Simmons (25) make two free throws to give Sixers a 126-125 lead over Portland Trail Blazers with 10 seconds left in the second half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

But that contract is long gone, and Tobias Harris is still a really good basketball player. Two years and $31 million is less than he could have made elsewhere, but at this stage in his career he wants to win. Once viewed as overpaid, the Spurs worked their way into becoming a team that could attract Harris' services at a discount.

In the playoffs Harris rose to the occasion as Detroit's second-best player. His per-game averages of 18.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.4 made 3-pointers, 1.5 steals, and 35 minutes all ranked in the top three on a Pistons squad that won 60 games to lead the entire Eastern Conference.

With rough spacing and little shot creation outside of Cade Cunningham, the 15-year veteran had to get buckets the hard way. On a Spurs team with more options, he should get cleaner looks and better efficiency. He might have thought the same as he watched the Finals. In fact, he fits in pretty perfectly with what San Antonio needed.

2. Addressing Spurs' Biggest Needs

San Antonio had an incredible roster this past season, and elevating Julian Champagnie to the starting group over Harrison Barnes raised the floor and the ceiling. His shooting, defense, and rebounding ability are all vital tools for a player on the floor with Victor Wembanyama, and he helped propel this team to the Finals.

Jun 10, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) brings the ball up court against San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) during the second quarter of game four of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

All throughout the playoffs and especially in the Finals, it became crystal clear what kind of player the Spurs should try to add to their depth. They needed someone with size on the wing and experience in addition to shooting, rebounding, and defense. Bonus points if that guy is a locker room leader, and super duper extra bonus points if that guy can put the ball on the floor and get up his own shot if the offense breaks down.

Harris checks every box in a way that should raise the floor and raise the ceiling once again.

3. More Size, Same Style

The Spurs' starting lineup was a little bit small outside of Wembanyama, featuring a bunch of versatile players between 6-foot-3 and 6-foot-6. That made them fast and switchable on the perimeter, but left them vulnerable against teams with more size in the frontcourt. Champagnie, Devin Vassell, and even Stephon Castle did a good job of guarding those players and punishing them with speed and spacing, but Mitch Johnson could have used a reliable option at 6-foot-8 or taller.

Tobias Harris adds everything San Antonio wants at that position of need while requiring absolutely zero changes to the scheme on either end. He can space the floor, finish at the rim, run in transition, grab boards, and guard multiple positions.

4. Experienced Production

Harrison Barnes and Luke Kornet entered the postseason as the only NBA champions on the roster and the only rotation players with real playoff experience. They saw their minutes dip in the postseason, as they joined Bismack Biyombo, Kelly Olynyk, and Mason Plumlee as vets who shared their wisdom mainly from the bench.

The Spurs led every game in the Finals and watched the lead slip away in four of the five games. How many times did it feel like this young group needed a guiding hand, a steady veteran presence on the floor with them?

May 28, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1), guard Stephon Castle (5) and forward Harrison Barnes (40) wait for substitution calls during game six of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs against Oklahoma City Thunder at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Enter 15-year pro's pro Tobias Harris.

This guy has been in the NBA since Obama's first term, and he could tell you everything that's changed since then and everything that's exactly the same. He's averaged 16 points and 6 rebounds over the course of that career, and at age 34 averaged better than that in the playoffs last year. He's consistent, durable, and smart. He's been praised as a locker room leader everywhere he's been, and poured a considerable amount of money back into the communities he's been a part of.

Harris came back to Detroit and helped change the culture as that young team went from the bottom of the barrel to the top of the Eastern Conference. He has the experience to be that sort of leader, and he still has the athleticism and skill to be the second-best player on a very good team in the playoffs.

Harris has started every game he's appeared in over the last nine seasons, 649 to be exact.

5. Rebounds and Defense

Harris averaged 7.2 rebounds per game in the playoffs, which would have been second on the Spurs behind Wemby at 10.9 and above Champagnie and Vassell at 5.7 and 5.6 respectively. A little extra rebounding and size on the glass goes a long way, especially as teams use multiple guys to keep Wembanyama off the boards.

His size adds a dimension to the Spurs' defense as he'll be able to match mass with some of the bigger wings out there, but he's also quick enough to stay in front of smaller guards and pick pockets. His 1.5 steals per game in the playoffs were more than anyone on San Antonio, with Champagnie, Fox and Vassell each snagging 1.3.

May 17, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) dribbles against Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (12) in the first half during game seven of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

6. Shooting Stays Solid

The main area where Champagnie has a clear edge over Harris is his volume as a 3-point shooter. Last year Champagnie shot 38% on 6.2 attempts per game, while Harris hit 37% on 3.5 attempts per game. About 74% of Champagnie's shot attempts were beyond the arc, compared to a third of Harris' attempts.

On some level, it's beneficial for the Spurs to have a designated sniper who does most of his work from beyond. Defenders have to stay a little bit more attached, and spacing the floor around Wemby and these guards is of chief concern.

But Tobias Harris hits a high enough percentage from deep that defenses have to respect him out there, and he'll probably get a lot of clean looks in the flow of this offense as someone who won't be expected to create his own basket. The fantastic news for the Spurs is that if they need him to do that in a pinch, he can.

May 3, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (12) shoots in the second half against the Orlando Magic during game seven of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

7. Harris Gets Buckets

When the going got tough for Detroit, the Pistons said, "Please help us, Tobias Harris."

Watch his highlight reel, and it will jump off the screen how many times he had to make something shake to beat the buzzer. Watch all the shots he took in the playoffs, and it will become immediately apparent why his efficiency stats weren't the greatest in that run.

The offensive engine in Cade Cunningham wasn't firing on all cylinders in the postseason, and short of other playmaking options they turned to Harris when nothing was doing. Working with 90's spacing and defenses who could key in on him, the sturdy vet carried out the thankless, doomed task of attempting to bail out a sinking ship with only a bucket.

Speaking of buckets, though, Harris' ability to create some for himself will be a crucial safety valve for a Spurs team that won't need to rely on it as a primary or secondary source of scoring chances. As talented as San Antonio is, there were times in the postseason when the offense sputtered and the clock ticked down. If the defense is selling out on protecting the rim and running shooters off the line, and the soft underbelly of the undesirable mid-range shot is the cleanest opportunity, Harris can knock them down.

In the regular season he shot about 49% on nearly 300 attempts between the restricted area and the 3-point arc. 60% of those makes were unassisted. According to the NBA's play tracking data, he hit 42-73 shots classified as turnaround jumpers or turnaround fadeaway jumpers, and over 90% of them were unassisted. For comparison, Champagnie tried just 64 shots in between the restricted area and the arc and hit under 35%.

This is not to say that Champagnie should attempt more 16-footers, or that San Antonio should build their offense around Harris doing it, but the fact that Harris can do it opens up a lot for the Spurs schematically.

8. Can't Hide a Defender

Champagnie is a dangerous shooter, but opponents like to hide their weakest perimeter defender on him because he's not a threat to bully his way to the rim. A smaller primary playmaker like Jalen Brunson or Shai-Gilgeous Alexander can survive on defense if they just have to follow a shooter around the arc, make it difficult for him to catch it, and get a solid shot contest.

Swap Champagnie for Harris, and the opponent no longer has that option. Tobias Harris can and will put smaller defenders in the torture chamber and work them in the post until the defense figures out a better idea.

May 9, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (12) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during the second half of game three in the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Only 18 players posted up more times than Harris last season, and at 1.11 points per possession he ranked near the top quartile. The list of players who posted up more often and generated more points per post-up looks like this: Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, DeMar DeRozan, Luka Doncic.

San Antonio won't be running the offense through Harris on the block, but they might start if teams try to hide their offense-focused small guard on him. Those guys will instead be forced to get blown past by De'Aaron Fox, or beat up by Steph Castle, or deal with Devin Vassell who is a more dynamic scoring threat than Champagnie.

9. Balance the Rotation

Even if the roster was constructed differently, Harris would have a strong case to be a starter based on everything laid out above. But with the pieces the Spurs have added and kept during the offseason, putting Harris into the starting group is the move that balances the rotation.

Dylan Harper will probably continue coming off the bench to make sure there's a star guard - or really any guard - in the second unit. With that understood, there's only so many ways the Spurs can organize their rotation. The option where Harris starts makes everything fall into a logical place, and the other option puts a lot of guys outside their optimal position.

Harris Starting

• Starters: Fox - Castle - Vassell - Harris - Wembanyama
• Bench: Harper - Champagnie - Johnson - Bryant - Kornet
• Reserves: McLaughlin, Barnes, Reed

In this arrangement, the starting group gets the size it was missing in Harris while Champagnie slots into a more natural shooting guard role and Keldon Johnson and Carter Bryant both remain where they're most comfortable positionally.

Champagnie Starting

• Starters: Fox - Castle - Vassell - Champagnie - Wembanyamna
• Bench: Harper - Johnson - Bryant - Harris - Kornet
• Reserves: McLaughlin, Barnes, Reed

Everything that was balanced with Harris starting is unbalanced here. The starting unit remains small with Champagnie a bit out of position at power forward. Johnson is a bit oversized at the two, Bryant is a bit oversized at the three, and Harris is a bit overqualified to be the backup four.

10. Optimize Champagnie's Optionality

Harris is still a very impactful player, and it's probably best for both him and the Spurs if he's the starter on opening night. He has the production, size and skills that the starting group needs, and his talents wouldn't be used as well if he was coming off the bench.

Champagnie, on the other hand, has more to gain from a bench role. He'll play at the two or three which is where he should be, and he'll have a greener light to shoot the ball against weaker opponents.

Before Champagnie rose to the starting lineup for good last season, he was the guy who could fill in for anyone who needed a night off from point guard to power forward. Fox or Castle out? One is running point with Champagnie at shooting guard. Vassell out? Champagnie's got plenty of size for the 3 and plays a very similar role. On a night when San Antonio is facing a smaller team, why not give Harris the night off and slot Champagnie back into the spot he was in last year?

May 28, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) reacts in the second half during game six of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Champagnie's ability to cover almost any hole in the lineup is incredibly valuable in a reserve player over the course of an 82-game season, and will provide the Spurs with maximum optionality when it comes to dealing with the bumps and bruises every team deals with. Using him in this way reduces the knock-on effects any one injury can have, minimizing disruption through the rest of the rotation.

Harris doesn't have that same plug-and-play versatility if he were to come off the bench, in fact, nobody other than Champagnie does.

11. Expectations After Contract Negotiations

34-year-old Tobias Harris and 25-year-old Julian Champagnie both signed contracts with the Spurs this offseason, with very different contexts and probably very different conversations. With no inside information, let's take a look at the context and imagine what the conversations might have been like between each player and the team.

Champagnie

• New contract: 3 years, $45 million (descending)
• Previous contract: 4 years, $12 million
• Career earnings (including this contract): $54,212,373

Spurs' theoretical pitch: "Julian, you're Spurs family and it's been incredible watching you grow. A few years ago you were cut and didn't know if you'd have an NBA career, and now you're a key piece of a team that made the Finals ahead of schedule. We have big plans to get back and get it done, and you're a big part of them. We could press this button and pay you a paltry sum of $3 million for the upcoming year, but we're not gonna do that. Instead we'll sign you to a 3-year deal worth $45 million, quadruple your career earnings, and you'll have another few chance to compete for a title with your brothers. How does that sound?

Harris

• New contract: 2 years, $30.84 million
• Previous contract: 2 years, $52 million
• Career earnings (including this contract): $331,343,705

Spurs' theoretical pitch: "Hey Tobias, lots of people tell us you'd fit right in with the culture we've built here, and we totally agree. We're knocking on the door of another championship, and we think you can help us kick that door down. Come to San Antonio. Bring your veteran leadership, your size on the wing, your team defense, rebounding, floor spacing and tough shotmaking. Under the brightest spotlight show the world how good a player Tobias Harris is and always has been. We know you can stay in Detroit where the team and the fans love you. We know other teams can offer you more than the two years and $31 million that we can. But none of them will give you a better chance at glory. Win a title here as the missing piece, and stamp your legacy forever."

After this exercise, which again I stress is entirely theoretical and a reading of the publicly available tea leaves, which of these players would be more easily convinced to accept a bench role? Which of these players would likely be more insistent on starting, and who would the Spurs be more likely to accommodate there?

This is not to say that Harris demanded a starting spot as a condition of his signing, or that Champagnie has accepted a bench role, or that a decision has already been made one way or another. But it's unlikely that these contracts were negotiated and signed with zero discussion of role, and if the Spurs had to sweeten the pot for anyone it would probably be Harris.

12. Low Risk, High Reward

What do the Spurs have to lose by starting Harris to start the season, and what do they have to gain?

We know what the Spurs look like with Julian Champagnie starting at the four, and we know it's pretty great. We also know that last year, it wasn't enough to win the title and they needed a bit more rebounding, experience, and shot creation out there.

There very well may come a time over the next two years where Julian Champagnie becomes a more productive player and a better option in the starting lineup than Tobias Harris. Right now that doesn't seem to be the case, and even if it was it would probably make sense for the Spurs to roll with the veteran who has been starting in this league for a decade before handing the spot to the youngster. That's the natural progression of things, and that's what happened when Champagnie took over for Barnes last year.

If the Spurs start Harris and it goes way worse than anticipated, they can say, 'well, we tried it and it didn't work, back to the lineup that won the West.' But if it works like they hope it will? Harris can be the man who makes the difference between hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy or watching someone else do it.