Following the reveals of Defensive Player of the Year (Victor Wembanyama) and Clutch Player of the Year (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) for the 2025-26 season, the NBA just recently announced the winner for Sixth Man of the Year: Spurs swingman Keldon Johnson.
Johnson, 26, is now the second Spurs member to win a major award this season, not counting the ROTY, MVP, or Coach of the Year, who have yet to be announced. Drafted 29th overall in 2019, Johnson now joins franchise legend Manu Ginobili as the only Spurs players to ever win Sixth Man of the Year.
“I wanted to be a part of something special in San Antonio. I knew that for me to be the best for the team, coming off the bench was the best possibility. At first, it was tough. I had to really ruin my ego and put the team first,” said Johnson on ESPN’s ‘Inside the NBA.’ “After that, the sky was the limit.”
Keldon Johnson was among an elite group of finalists this year, which included Jaime Jaquez Jr. of the Miami Heat and Tim Hardaway Jr. of the Denver Nuggets. While his role was often uncertain at certain times throughout the season, his impact was never in doubt. Over all 82 games (for the first time in his career), Johnson averaged 13.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game on on 51.9% shooting and 36.3% shooting from three.
This season, with 1,081 points, Johnson set a Spurs franchise record for bench scoring while leading all reserve guards in efficiency, boasting a 61.3% True Shooting percentage and a dominant +3.9 net rating off the bench. Best of all, his play translated into team success for the Spurs, who had their best regular season in 10 years (67-15 in 2015-16).
In almost all aspects, Keldon Johnson proved his worth this season, and he showed us all that he’s worthy of the recognition. Over seven years in the NBA, he’s taken on various roles for the Spurs as they have transitioned between different phases of contention. His best statistical season was in 2022-23, when he averaged 22.0 points for the Spurs. Ever since he joined the team, however, he’s never known success like he did this season.
Alongside Victor Wembanyama, Johnson has thrived on the wing as a versatile forward who can do it all. With teammates like De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Devin Vassell, there’s no question that he’s got a bright future ahead of him. Of course, it also means he’ll be looking for a raise on his next contract, given that he’s only got one year left on his current deal, worth just $17.5 million.
Ultimately, if Johnson doesn’t agree to terms on an extension this summer, it could put the NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year on the trade block, and there is no shortage of offers to be made for such a young, high-impact player. For now, at least, the Spurs will keep their focus on the present and on recognizing the great season that their players are having.
First Victor and now Johnson, the awards are piling up for this young Spurs team, and it just shows how far they have come in such a relatively short time. Just a few years ago, they were scraping the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Now, they are standing tall as one of the teams to beat in the West.
No matter how long Johnson sticks around, he can take pride in knowing his play has been one of the pivotal factors in their success. Unfortunately, with the Spurs just days away from a fierce battle in Game 3, neither they nor Johnson will have much time to celebrate their latest mark on basketball history.
