Victor Wembanyama could well be prepared to take one for the team with the San Antonio Spurs, perhaps having watched what a similar gesture did for Jalen Brunson.
Brunson, of course, took the decision to leave a significant amount of money on the table two years ago. To say that worked out would be an understatement.
Indeed, that financial flexibility gave the New York Knicks the power to build a team to finally end their 53-year wait for NBA Finals glory.
Wembanyama could now follow in his footsteps.
Wembanyama could take pay cut like Brunson
According to Jake Fischer, the 22-year-old is considering signing less than his maximum rookie scale extension to give the San Antonio Spurs more financial power.
It’s a team-friendly decision that could help the greater good, just as it did with Brunson.
He is reportedly eligible for a five-year contract extension worth $251m with potential bonuses in the deal to take it above $300m.
The Spurs, of course, lost to the Knicks in their first appearance in the NBA finals since 2014.
Wembanyama sends message to San Antonio Spurs fans
The NBA Defensive Player of the Year certainly excited fans on social media.
Wembanyama took to social media platform X to write: “Spurs family, I’m here to stay. Whatever it takes.”
Fans on social media were very pleased with that, as you can imagine given the success that Brunson and the Knicks have enjoyed.
It would be a fairly remarkable step in the first contract extension of his career, conjuring up memories of Tim Duncan from a bygone Spurs era.
Clearly, nothing has been confirmed yet, but there is genuine excitement that such a decision could mirror what happened in New York.
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