San Antonio Spurs superstar center Victor Wembanyama is said to be considering a shocking decision on his next contract.
As arguably the NBA’s best player, the Spurs will no doubt be willing to offer Wembanyama a maximum contract extension after his four-year rookie deal is up at the end of next season.
The max contract extension with the Spurs that Wembanyama can sign for is five years and between $252 and $303 million, or 30% of the salary cap, depending on whether he wins MVP or makes the All-NBA team, which seems very likely.
However, while Wembanyama is deserving of the max deal, he apparently is willing to take less to help the team.
Victor Wembanyama Willing to Take Less Than the Max
After Wembanyama posted a cryptic tweet on Friday suggesting that he would do whatever it takes to help San Antonio win, NBA reporter Jake Fischer reported that there is word around town in Las Vegas during NBA Summer League action that Wembanyama is willing to take less than the max to help the Spurs out.
“There has been word this morning in Las Vegas that Victor Wembanyama is considering signing less than his maximum rookie scale extension to provide San Antonio greater financial flexibility,” Fischer wrote on X.
This is absolutely shocking news to read, as almost every other player in Wembanyama’s situation would take a max contract and make as much money as they possibly can, especially since he is only 22 and hasn’t been in the league that long, so his career earnings aren’t even that high yet.
But by taking less than the max, Wembanyama would once again prove to the Spurs how badly he wants to win the NBA Championship, as taking less money would allow San Antonio to build a better roster around him.
It would be truly incredible if Wembanyama were to do this, but since he has made it clear that winning is the only thing that matters to him, it makes sense.
Spurs Salary Cap Situation Going Forward
The Spurs still have Wembanyama on his rookie deal for this coming season at just $16.8 million, which is an absolute steal for what he brings to the table.
The problem is that De’Aaron Fox is on a max deal paying him $49.8 million this season, and going forward, he stands to make over $50 million per season for the three years after this coming one. That’s a big problem for San Antonio, as Fox is not a max player at this stage in his career.
But if Wembanyama takes less money, then having Fox on the roster at max money becomes more manageable.
In addition, Stephon Castle’s rookie deal is up in two years, and Dylan Harper will need a new contract in three years. So if Wembanyama takes less money, it really will help the Spurs going forward, as his sacrifice would truly help the team’s front office build a better team around him if he takes less money.
We’ll ultimately see what Wembanyama’s next contract looks like, but it really does feel like he is willing to do anything and everything it takes to win, and that includes taking less money on his contract extension with the Spurs.
Victor Wembanyama Considering Shocking Contract Decision