What Does Victor Wembanyama's Contract Extension Mean For The OKC Thunder's Future?

Not only is the superstar sticking around in San Antonio, but he's cleared up money for others as well.

Jun 2, 2026; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) answers questions from the press during the NBA finals media day at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Thunder’s biggest rival is set to be around for a lot longer.

It’s no secret that this past season basically secured a new rivalry in the NBA between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs were not only the only team to give the Thunder trouble, but they actually beat them in the Western Conference Finals in seven games. 

Both of these teams have been present this offseason, with the Thunder drafting Aday Mara to hopefully help secure more of the paint, and even San Antonio signing Tobias Harris to have a true four in its lineup. However, Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama recently made a decision that could trouble the Thunder for years in the future.

Wembanyama has already solidified himself as one of the best players in the world. He led the Spurs to the NBA Finals in just his third year and became the first player to ever win the Defensive Player of the Year award unanimously. Having achieved all of this in a short amount of time, you would think that when he was available to be extended, the Spurs would send all the money they could at him, except that Wembanyama didn’t want all of it. 

Instead of accepting a supermax contract for the next five years, Wembanyama took a pay cut. He signed a new 5-year contract that could be worth up to $252 million dollars, which is $51 million less than he could’ve secured. Now, with money back in San Antonio’s pockets, keeping their squad together will be a lot easier. 

Oklahoma City has already had money issues of its own, as they have had to pay Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren all major deals. This resulted in OKC losing both Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe this offseason, and possibly having to move another player before the trade deadline this upcoming season. 

While the Thunder are somewhat scrambling to get their money issues figured out, the Spurs will now have room to potentially keep Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper on the team for years to come to pair with Wembanyama. OKC has started to reload with its rookie class, but the Spurs star taking a pay cut will definitely make the Thunder’s chances of getting out of the West more difficult. 

It isn’t guaranteed that this extra money will be incentivising enough to keep everyone on the young Spurs squad around, but if the San Antonio core continues to hang around, the Thunder could face issues for years to come.