Back when the Philadelphia 76ers were still led by veteran head coach Doc Rivers, the team put a strong emphasis on relying on their veteran commodities to get the job done. Joel Embiid and James Harden were the head ponchos with Tobias Harris complementing them. Tyrese Maxey was still in the infancy stage of his stardom. As such, it was quite normal for the front office to quickly discard young prospects in favor of more tenured options.
One casualty of their roster-building flavor was Julian Champagnie, whom the 76ers picked up after he went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft. The St. John's standout spent most of his rookie season in the G-League, having suited up in just two games for his mother team. Without an actual path to getting playing time at that point, the front office waived him in February 2023.
San Antonio, still rebuilding (tanking) around that time for the possibility of getting Victor Wembanyama (side note: they did), scooped him up from the market. And against all odds, he has become a core piece for the young contending squad. Individually, he has emerged as a legitimate stud in Alamo City.
Julian Champagnie was a missed opportunity for the 76ers
Of course, hindsight is always 20-20. But the 76ers ought to know better that Champagnie's skill set would translate well in the NBA once he had the opportunity to stay on the floor. Now, the 24-year-old has already proven that he can be a huge difference-maker for a winning squad.
The Spurs currently have a 55-18 win-loss card, good for second in the West behind the defending champions and second in the league as a whole. Led by Wembanyama and their formidable collection of young talent, they are well on their way to dominating the NBA for the next decade or so.
Champagnie has a major part in their surge. The former 76ers forward has been promoted to their starting lineup, effectively functioning as their resident three-and-D man who can hit tough threes on the catch and capably defend multiple positions. Even better, he is on a huge bargain bin deal until next season.
The 76ers definitely could have used someone like Champagnie. He is a markedly controlled player who can shoot threes at a high volume, and he can be counted on as a defender. His rebounding has also been surprisigly good this season. There is still room for growth in his game, as his off-the-dribble game has likewise improved.
Philadelphia has had more damning mistakes than letting Julian Champagnie go, but dumping him without giving him a real shot at showcasing what he can bring to the table will always be associated with the flawed way the coaching staff and the front office operated during the Doc Rivers era. After all, he is constantly proving them wrong.