The San Antonio Spurs and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama have agreed on a five-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extension that carries a player option for the 2031-32 season, league sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Friday.
Because the 22-year-old center declined to add Rose Rule escalators, the contract will open at 25% of the 2027-28 salary cap instead of the possible 30%. Current projections place the deal’s total value at $252.3 million from 2027-28 through 2031-32. Had the escalators been included—and the French star met qualifying marks such as another All-NBA selection, a second straight Defensive Player of the Year award, or MVP honors—he could have earned roughly $302.8 million.
Earlier Friday, Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer noted speculation in Las Vegas that Wembanyama might take less than his full maximum to aid San Antonio’s future cap flexibility. While the extension is technically a max agreement, forgoing the Rose Rule language leaves potential money on the table. Wembanyama appeared to signal that mindset with a social-media post reading, “Spurs family, I’m here to stay. Whatever it takes.”
Selected first overall in the 2023 draft, the 7-4 standout has anchored San Antonio’s rapid climb from 22 wins in his rookie campaign to 62 victories last season. He led the league in blocks per game in each of his first three years and finished third in MVP voting in 2025-26 after averaging 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.0 steal and an NBA-best 3.1 blocks across 64 games. The Spurs ultimately fell to the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals, a series that followed playoff victories over Portland, Minnesota and defending champion Oklahoma City.
Wembanyama’s 2024-25 season was cut short by a shoulder blood clot, but he returned to average 23.8 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 steal and 3.5 blocks in 22 postseason contests while logging 34.1 minutes per game.
The agreement locks the franchise cornerstone in San Antonio through at least the 2030-31 campaign, with the player option giving him control over a potential sixth year.
Source: Hoops Rumors
