The San Antonio Spurs made the best move of the NBA offseason, signing Victor Wembanyama to a five-year, $252 million max rookie extension.

Sure, other teams traded for superstars like Jaylen Brown, Kawhi Leonard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and LaMelo Ball, and free agents like LeBron James, Klay Thompson, and DeMar DeRozan changed teams, but no one else managed to lock up a 22-year old MVP candidate, let alone for less than the maximum amount.

Wembanyama could have signed a five-year deal with incentives that would have taken him over $300 million, although he left those on the table, giving the Spurs unprecedented flexibility in the age of the second apron. With Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper coming up on extensions of their own, Wemby sort of pigeonholed his teammates.

READ MORE: Spurs, Victor Wembanyama Searching For Answers After Loss to Thunder

READ MORE: Victor Wembanyama Not Ready to 'Jump to Conclusions' After Spurs Lose to Thunder

READ MORE: Spurs to 'Figure Out' Promising Rotation After Loss to Thunder

For San Antonio, Wembanyama's extension opens up some flexibility, making the Spurs the envy of the NBA.

"The biggest difference between San Antonio and its rival in Oklahoma City is that in 2027-28, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will make an estimated $64 million … and Victor Wembanyama will make $43.5 million," pointed out The Athletic's John Hollinger. "That saves the Spurs about $9 million a year each of the next four seasons, giving them much more flexibility to construct the rest of the roster around their star big man, especially as other precocious young stars like Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper become extension-eligible."

By taking less than the supermax, Wembanyama ensures that the Spurs should have no problem offering Castle and Harper market value, if not more. He took up just under 25 percent of the salary cap. Under league rules, the Spurs can extend guys to up to 30 percent of the cap. 

But who's worth more than Wembanyama?

"Wembanyama has thrown down a marker here, too: Would Castle or Harper be gauche enough to ask for 30 percent when Wembanyama took 25?" he asked.

Other players around the league have to grapple with the same argument. Guys like Jalen Duren have asked for more than their teams were willing to pay. Why would the Pistons open their purse to pay Duren when a much, much better player took a discount?

Some guys are just serious about winning.