It was a matter of when, not if, the San Antonio Spurs were going to ink superstar youngster Victor Wembanyama to a new contract this summer, considering the 22-year-old became extension eligible.
Instead of signing for the maximum amount of money that Wembanyama deserved, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year took a slight pay cut, agreeing to a four-year, $252 million pact.
ESPN’s Shams Charania detailed the reason why the youngster took less than he could have.
“Wembanyama decided on the 25% maximum instead of the 30% supermax escalators to $303M, after he and the Spurs went through multiple frameworks. A major decision for the All-NBA star and Defensive Player of the Year entering his fourth season,” wrote Charania in a post on X.
“San Antonio worked in close partnership with Wembanyama and his representatives, offering the full super max and different variations of extensions. But Wembanyama ultimately chose a contract sacrifice rooted in giving him and the organization increased ability to build a sustained title contender around him.”
But why is the onus on Wembanyama to ensure the team around him stays together? Is the current CBA doing more harm than good to NBA players?
Victor Wembanyama Contract May Force CBA Changes
The Athletic’s Sam Weiss reported on new NBPA executive Director David Kelly’s introductory press conference and revealed the contract the San Antonio Spurs gave Wembanyama is sparking a conversation around a potential change regarding the current CBA,
“Minutes before news broke that Victor Wembanyama passed up on the Supermax to help the Spurs try to keep its powerhouse roster together long-term, NBPA executive Director David Kelly held his introductory press conference and made it clear that the union is preparing to fight back hard against the second apron under its new leadership,” wrote Weiss.
“(The CBA) should not put a player in a position where he has to carry the burden in order to keep a team together. A system that does that, we have a problem,” Kelly told reporters at his press conference, via Weiss.
It’s a major change of tune from NBPA brass, who were initially supportive of the current structure of the league’s financial system.
Perhaps Wembanyama’s paycut was the final straw.
Victor Wembanyama Wasn’t the First Apron Sacrifice
While the San Antonio Spurs contract with Wembanyama may be the straw that broke the camel’s back, he certainly wasn’t the first star player to take less than he could have.
New York Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson famously took his own paycut in the summer of 2024, sacrificing roughly $113 million to sign a four-year, $156.5 million extension with his team.
The deal allowed the Knicks to maintain financial flexibilty since, and was the key to multiple New York trades allowing them to land both Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, two massive pieces in the recent title run.
But, again, the onus should not be on the players to make financial sacrifices for the betterment of their teams, and that’s exactly what the current CBA is designed to do.
Changes should be coming in the NBA and it’s financial system, and it’s thanks to players like Wembanyama and Brunson.
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