Spurs’ Wembanyama Considering Non-Max Extension?

Wembanyama, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year who finished third in MVP voting, is eligible until the last day of the offseason to sign a five-year contract worth up to a projected standard maximum of $252.3MM or a potential “Rose rule” maximum of $302.8MM. Wembanyama could qualify for a Rose rule max – which would start at 30% of the 2027/28 salary cap instead of 25% – by making an All-NBA team or earning MVP or Defensive Player of the Year honors next season.

There has long been an expectation that Wembanyama will get essentially whatever contract he wants from San Antonio this summer, even if that means it features player-friendly Rose rule language and perhaps a fifth-year player option.

However, the 22-year-old is coming off an NBA Finals loss to a team whose star player – Jalen Brunson – who was widely lauded for signing for less than his full maximum salary in order to give the Knicks the flexibility to build a deep, talented roster around him. That could be influencing Wembanyama’s thinking as he weighs his options this summer.

It’s worth noting that when Brunson signed his four-year, $156.6MM in 2024, it was the maximum amount he could receive at that time. The NBA’s extension rules limited the percentage of the raise Brunson could receive on an extension, so he would have to go all the way to unrestricted free agency in 2025 in order to sign a far more lucrative contract (up to $269MM over five years). Still, the fact that the star guard decided not to wait allowed New York to carry several other players on sizable salaries — he was only the third highest-paid player on the roster last season, with Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby above him on that list.

We should also point out that the players’ union typically doesn’t love seeing the league’s best players settle for below-market deals in their prime years, so it seems likely they’ll touch base with Wembanyama before his next contract is finalized.

Still, Wembanyama appears to be hinting that an announcement may not be far off. He published a tweet less than an hour ago that reads, “Spurs family, I’m here to stay. Whatever it takes.”

If Wembanyama were to sign for less than his maximum salary, it would make it easier for the Spurs to accommodate lucrative new deals for rising stars Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper in the coming years — and perhaps set a precedent for those players to accept slightly more team-friendly terms as well.