Wemby's inevitable contract extension should have an unexpected impact

Feb 14, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Team World center Victor Wembanyama (1) of the San Antonio Spurs during a news conference for the NBA All Star game at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn ImagesVictor Wembanyama has been a godsend for the Spurs franchise and is about to get compensated for it. Set to receive a five-year, maximum extension approaching $250+ million this offseason, rival squads will be wondering what went wrong.

Rookie extensions are capped at a fixed percentage of the salary cap, so even generational players like the Alien can’t truly be paid what they’re worth early in their careers. That's why this deal may look massive…