With the disappointment of losing to the New York Knicks in 5 games in the NBA Finals still lingering in the air, the San Antonio Spurs have a very clear focus heading into the offseason.
That focus, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, rests on just 1 thing — signing center Victor Wembanyama to a 5-year, $302.3 million contract extension.
“The No. 1 priority for the Spurs this offseason is signing Wembanyama,” Windhorst said on Monday. “He’s due for a contract around $300 million. That’s the 1st thing they need to get done.”
Wembanyama’s performance in the NBA Finals created a different perception of him for the 1st time in his career. Now, for the 1st time, he’s being looked at as a villain after several fragrant fouls and perceived dirty play against the Knicks — including what could have been a likely suspension had the series gone to 6 games due to flagrant fouls in Game 6.
“We saw, for the 1st time, a spark of immaturity that really hurt his team with those flagrant fouls,” Windhorst said. “We also saw a player who, under immense pressure, didn’t have a go-to offensive move with the championship on the line.”
2023 1st Round Picks Up for Big Money Deals
The 1st-round picks from the 2023 NBA draft, led by No. 1 overall pick Wembanyama, are up for their 1st contract extensions this offseason.
Spotrac’s Keith Smith took a look at all 30 1st round picks in the 2023 NBA draft as they become eligible for lucrative contract extensions this offseason, and, to no one’s surprise, Wembanyama leads the way.
Smith handed Wembanyama a projection of a 5-year, $302.3 million extension with the hard-to-come-by player option for the 5th year of the deal.
“In all the years that we’ve done this exercise, this is arguably the easiest projection we’ve made,” Smith wrote. “Wembanyama is getting everything. The full max, with the designated language and the elusive player option on his final season.”
While the 2023 class will likely always have Wembanayma holding things down at the top, beyond him, it’s a wasteland. In Smith’s latest model, just 9 of the 30 picks seem like locks to land extensions.
Stephen Curry’s Decade Reign Atop Earnings List
Golden State Warriors guard and 4-time NBA champion Stephen Curry was the highest-paid player in the NBA in 2025-26 with a salary of approximately $65.2 million — a top spot he’s held all but 1 year since 2017-18.
The only year Curry wasn’t on top in that stretch was 2020-21, when Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul topped the list with $41.3 million — right ahead of Curry’s $40.4 million.
Wembanyama’s new deal would pay him approximately $60.4 million per year.
Curry will almost certainly see his last year at the top of the list in 2026-27, when he banks an incredible $62.5 million.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic missed the opportunity to take over the No. 1 spot from Curry when he was traded from the Dallas Mavericks in February 2025. Had Doncic remained with the Mavericks, he would have been eligible for a 5-year, $345 million supermax contract — approximately $69 million per season.
Don’t feel too bad for Doncic. He signed a 3-year, $160.3 million contract extension with the Lakers that runs through the 2027-28 season and includes a player option for 2028-29. At that point, with 10 years in the NBA, he will once again be eligible for a supermax — a contract some think could land in the range of 5 years for $420 million.
NBA Insider: Spurs’ ‘No. 1 Priority’ Massive New Contract for Victor Wembanyama