.jpg)
1 hour ago
3
The window to win the Larry O'Brien trophy is wide open for the San Antonio Spurs. Victor Wembanyama is going to be dominant for years to come after reaching the NBA Finals just three years after getting drafted. He is also surrounded by great young talents like Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell, and Carter Bryant. The biggest problem in their way? It's not a repeat scare against the New York Knicks or another great talent arising from the Western Conference. It's the collective bargaining agreement and the hard salary caps that forced Wembanyama to take a pay cut so the Spurs could have more financial flexibility.
Spurs' Wembanyama blasts NBA salary problem
Typically, someone who just finished as a finalist for the NBA MVP and got as far as the NBA Finals would sign a supermax deal to extend their stay with a franchise. Victor Wembanyama was more than capable of doing that, but he didn't.
The Spurs superstar only signed a $252 million deal that spanned five years. He left about $50 million on the negotiation table so the Spurs could have more financial flexibility to sign other players like Dylan Harper and Devin Vassell.
Weeks after making this decision, Wembanyama finally blasted the NBA's salary problem and named it as the biggest roadblock to the Spurs' hopes of constantly going back to title contention mode every year, via Jason Jones of The Athletic.
"We have a good team, we had a very good playoff run, and we had a very good regular season. 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," Wembanyama declared.
The Spurs have quite a salary conundrum entering the season despite making the NBA Finals. Currently, they are hard-capped at the first apron and only have about $10.48 million of space left before they exceed their limitations. This is a concern for Wembanyama because a bulk of his teammates, who helped them get to the NBA Finals, also want to get paid.
Devin Vassell is eligible for an extension this upcoming season, and his deadline is on October 1, 2026. Stephon Castle, Carter Bryant, and Dylan Harper also have club options that need to be exercised by October 31, 2026. It is safe to say that Wembanyama signing immediately to the Spurs and helping them out by not taking the supermax for about $303 million eased a lot of woes.
Hopefully, Wembanyama is able to sign a full supermax extension and gets what he deserves if the collective bargaining agreement does get amended soon.
English (US)