Victor Wembanyama took a $50 million discount on his new contract with the San Antonio Spurs, and with the added financial flexibility, the Spurs now have to examine how to approach De'Aaron Fox's maximum deal.
The San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama agreed to a six-year partnership, with Wemby signing a five-year maximum extension. Add in the last year of his rookie deal, and he should be in San Antonio through the 2031-32 season.
While Wembanyama signed a maximum deal, a "supermax" contract was on the table. With the incentives in that deal, Wemby would have gotten paid over $300 million instead of the $252 million he agreed to. That contract should keep the Spurs below the second apron for the foreseeable future.
With the new contract, Wembanyama officially has the biggest deal of any Spur ever, although De'Aaron Fox's four-year, $229 million contract keeps him atop the leaderboard for the highest salary.
Heading into the offseason, the Spurs were expected to trade Fox, or at least consider it. His massive deal may have hampered the Spurs going forward. Now that Wembanyama has spared the Spurs some cap space, the organization can lock up a long-term future.
Verdict on Fox's Future Revealed
Last season, Fox was a steady backcourt player for the Spurs, making the All-Star Game. In the postseason and Finals, he took a massive step back. While he was nursing an injury, the rise of Dylan Harper quickly made the veteran expendable.
Despite losing some trade value in the playoffs, the Fox was a frequent fixture in trade rumors. Part of the reasoning was that the Spurs would want to shed his contract to make room for Harper and Stephon Castle's eventual extensions.
After Wemby left some money on the table, moving Fox isn't a top priority anymmore.
"I think this delays any potential De'Aaron Fox decision probably at least a couple of years," said ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "They're not going to be financially pushed to trade De'Aaron Fox for at least a couple of years."
Some fans would say that Harper is already a better player than Fox. Every fan would say that Harper will be a better player than Fox, sooner or later. However, thanks to Wembanyama leaving some money on the table, Fox, Harper, and Castle can all share responsibilities, at least for the time being.
In addition to allowing the Spurs to keep Fox around, Wembanyama's extension ensures that San Antonio will be able to afford quality role players.
"It'll also position them to be able to sign guys like Tobias Harris in future off-seasons," MacMahon added. "He's taking less to position the Spurs to win."
A healthy Fox, along with Castle and Harper, gives the Spurs the best backcourt in the NBA. Add in Wembanyama, the world's best player, and they should be frontrunners. Combine those weapons with a high-level supporting cast, and the Spurs should be unstoppable.
They're just getting started.
