​Here’s the contract loophole that gives De’Aaron Fox a long-term edge over Victor Wembanyama, originally published by The Sporting News. This piece also encourages readers to add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The San Antonio Spurs have locked in the core group that powered the franchise to a near-championship run last season. While speculation about De’Aaron Fox’s future has persisted, there is no indication from the Spurs’ front office that a trade or move is in the works.
Meanwhile, the Spurs and franchise centerpiece Victor Wembanyama officially agreed to a five-year, $252 million rookie-scale contract extension. Although Wembanyama was eligible for a deal amounting to 30% of the salary cap, he opted for the standard 25% rookie maximum. That choice ensures Fox remains the Spurs’ highest-paid player in every season through 2030. Earlier, Fox signed a four-year, $229 million maximum veteran extension with San Antonio. His deal consumes the full 30% maximum salary slot, placing him among the largest cap hits on the team’s payroll. Given that veteran maximum contracts are structured at a higher percentage of the salary cap than rookie-scale extensions, Fox’s annual earnings will surpass Wembanyama’s over the life of their current contracts. Fox is slated to make $49.5 million in the 2026-27 season, followed by $53.5 million in 2027-28, $57.4 million in 2028-29, and $61.4 million in 2029-30.
Despite Fox’s crucial role in San Antonio’s advance to the NBA Finals, some league analysts remain critical of the size of his contract. In a recent league-wide assessment, Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale labeled Fox’s extension as the fourth-worst deal among eight of the NBA’s least favorable contracts.
Still, Wembanyama’s team-first approach to his own extension has given the Spurs extra financial flexibility. Even if some view Fox’s contract as overpriced relative to market value, San Antonio retains the salary-cap freedom needed to continue constructing a championship-caliber roster and to keep its championship window open for years to come.