San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts in the second half during game three of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
The 2026 offseason has seen Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, and Jaylen Brown end up on new teams, but NBA salary cap analyst Yossi Gozlan thinks Victor Wembanyama might have made the most significant move. Wembanyama didn’t demand a supermax rookie-scale contract extension from the San Antonio Spurs, and Gozlan explained how much that benefits the team in his Third Apron newsletter.
“Wembanyama didn’t receive the escalators that could’ve boosted his contract’s total value to $302.8 million,” Gozlan wrote. “The $10 million in annual savings is arguably the most consequential move of the offseason. The Spurs’ ability to delay going into the luxury tax for multiple years could be the difference between winning a championship while Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle are still on their rookie contracts.”
Wembanyama was eligible to sign a five-year deal worth up to $303 million this summer, and no one would have blamed him for wanting it. The 22-year-0ld put up excellent averages of 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.0 steals, and 3.1 blocks per game for the Spurs in 2025-26.
Wembanyama also became the first-ever unanimous DPOY winner in NBA history in 2026 and led the Spurs to the NBA Finals. They lost in five games to the New York Knicks on the big stage, but he’d still done more than enough to get the supermax.
The Spurs were reportedly also willing to offer the supermax, but Wembanyama agreed to a five-year, $252 million deal. The Frenchman chose the 25% rookie-scale maximum instead of the 30% supermax escalators.
Now, Wembanyama earned some criticism for leaving money on the table, but this move greatly helps the Spurs. In this second apron era, successful teams are finding it harder than ever to hold on to their key pieces.
We just saw the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Spurs’ title rivals, give up Lu Dort for second-round picks once Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren’s extensions kicked in. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s four-year, $285 million supermax extension also kicks in next season, and the Thunder just cannot keep everybody.
Now, the Spurs won’t be in that position for a while. As Gozlan mentioned, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper are on their rookie contracts at the moment.
Castle will be eligible to sign an extension in 2027 and Harper in 2028, and they’d kick in the following year. That leaves a window for the Spurs to add good pieces around their young trio, and Wembanyama’s hometown discount helps even more. The only real issue right now for them would be De’Aaron Fox’s four-year, $229 million max extension. It’s one of the Spurs’ rare mistakes, but we’re only saying that in hindsight.
Victor Wembanyama Explained His Contract Decision
While Wembanyama, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, has faced criticism for taking less money, it’s not a decision he regrets. He has explained why he chose to settle for the max extension.
“We have a good team, we had a very good playoff run, and we had a very good regular season,” Wembanyama said. “But what’s even better and greater is our potential. The reality of today’s NBA is that often, the potential of teams is not fulfilled because of money. I just want to make sure it’s never our case.”
There have been a lot of talented teams that ultimately never won a title for one reason or another. Wembanyama wants this Spurs core to be together for a very long time, and he firmly believes in their potential. They are already way ahead of schedule, and you’d imagine if they hold on to their key pieces, they’ll win a championship in the coming years.