Victor Wembanyama is expected to be offered a five-year, maximum contract by the San Antonio Spurs, although the young superstar might be willing to negotiate.
Victor Wembanyama cemented himself as the best player in the NBA last season, as he led the San Antonio Spurs to the NBA Finals in just his third season. Of course, the Spurs lost to the New York Knicks, but it's safe to say that the NBA is his league now.
This summer, he's expected to get paid like it.
With only one year left on his four-year rookie contract, the Spurs can extend him this summer. The most they can offer is five years, $251 million, with added incentives possibly taking the deal past the $300 million mark. Since no other team is allowed to offer him anything close to that, negotiations were expected to be pretty straightforward.
General manager Brian Wright would sit Wemby down, offer him the money he's worth, and both parties would be on their way.
However, a recent update suggests that thinsg might not be that simple.
Wembanyama Hints At Taking Spurs' Discount
If Wembanyama even hinted that he wanted a maximum deal, the Spurs would very quickly present him with one. He's only 22 years old, already a lock for MVP conversations, and is simply a winning player. Unlike some of his peers who think they deserve a massive contract, Wemby has proven that he does.
But locking up over a third of the salary cap in a single player can handcuff teams, even if the superstar they break the bank for is worth it. Signing Wembanyama to a $251 million deal might impact future moves the Spurs could make, such as extending Stephon Castle or Dylan Harper.
So, in the name of winning, Wembanyama might take a discount.
"Spurs family, I’m here to stay," he posted. "Whatever it takes."
Does that mean he's willing to take a discount? Insider Jake Fischer seems to think so.
Between endorsement deals with Nike, Gatorade, Louis Vuitton, and H-E-B, Wembanyama doesn't really need the money the Spurs would offer. It would signal to him that he's the key piece of their success moving forward, but what if he already knows that?
Players have taken discounts to allow their team to remain competitive before. Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili are all relevant examples, but they took their pay cut later in their careers, after they already made hundreds of millions of dollars. Leaving that much money on the table as a third-year player is unheard of.
Then again, so is a 7-5 center with point guard skills and a 3-point shot.
