Wembanyama signs five-year Spurs extension before rookie deadline

Victor Wembanyama’s five-year, $252 million extension with the San Antonio Spurs was agreed before the 19 October rookie-extension deadline.

Brandon Miller, Amen Thompson, Ausar Thompson, Cason Wallace, Keyonte George and Brandin Podziemski also signed five-year extensions. The signings came as the 2026 offseason drew to a close.

Wembanyama’s terms stand out

Wembanyama, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, has a player option in the final year of his deal. His contract begins at 25% of the salary cap, with annual raises of 8%.

The Spurs’ agreement does not include escalators that could have lifted his starting salary to 30% of the cap if he met certain award criteria this season. That distinction also removes a potential financial incentive for Wembanyama to pursue the 65-game eligibility requirement when making decisions about his health.

Miller, the No. 2 pick, agreed a five-year, $209 million extension with the Charlotte Hornets. With LaMelo Ball gone, Miller and Kon Knueppel are now central to Charlotte’s plans, while Miller faces a greater share of the team’s creation duties.

Thompson twins agree different figures

Amen Thompson signed for five years and $208 million with the Houston Rockets. His brother Ausar Thompson agreed the same term with the Detroit Pistons, but for $155 million — a $53 million difference across the two deals.

Both bring strong defence, but neither has developed a 3-point shot. Amen has carried a greater on-ball offensive workload, while Ausar’s defensive impact was evident in Detroit’s second-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers: he recorded nine blocks, 12 steals and 28 deflections.

The Oklahoma City Thunder also reached a five-year, $139 million agreement with Cason Wallace. His defence and 3-point shooting give Oklahoma City a different combination of skills from those offered by the Thompson twins, while the deal secures him ahead of his new starting role.

What the deals mean next

The Utah Jazz signed Keyonte George to a five-year, $157.5 million extension, while Brandin Podziemski agreed a five-year, $110 million deal with the Golden State Warriors.

For the Hornets, Miller’s development as a scorer and passer will help determine the value of his contract. The Rockets and Pistons, meanwhile, must account for the Thompson twins’ limited outside shooting when building around their defensive strengths. Oklahoma City has avoided taking Wallace into the season without an extension in place.