Despite being touted as a generational talent, Victor Wembanyama’s salary for 2025 places him surprisingly low in the NBA pay hierarchy. The San Antonio Spurs center will earn $13,376,880 in the 2025-26 season, ranking him as just the 127th highest-paid player in the league.
While Wembanyama’s rookie contract totals an impressive $55,174,766 over four years, his annual compensation tells a different story. In fact, when we look at the wembanyama salary structure, his average annual pay comes to $13,793,692, making him only the 18th best-paid center in the NBA. This raises interesting questions about the value of Wemby’s salary compared to his on-court impact and potential.
In this article, I’ll break down everything you need to know about Victor Wembanyama’s contract, from guaranteed money to his future restricted free agency status. We’ll examine whether the Spurs are getting a bargain or if this rookie-scale deal represents fair value for both parties.
Victor Wembanyama’s 2025 Salary at a Glance
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Looking at the actual numbers, Victor Wembanyama’s salary for the 2025-26 NBA season is precisely $13,376,880. This figure represents his third year in the league and shows a steady progression from his previous seasons with the San Antonio Spurs.
Base salary and cap hit for 2025
For the 2025-26 season, Wembanyama’s base salary and cap hit are identical at $13,376,880. The dead cap value—the amount that would count against the Spurs’ salary cap if he were released—also stands at $13,376,880. This represents approximately a 5% increase from his rookie season compensation.
Some financial reports round this figure to approximately $13.80 million, but the exact figure is consistently reported as $13,376,880 across more reliable sources. This salary is part of Wembanyama’s structured rookie contract that follows the NBA’s predetermined rookie scale.
How much is guaranteed?
Regarding guarantees, Wembanyama’s contract included $24,929,640 guaranteed at signing. Interestingly, this same amount represents his total guaranteed money overall. The 2025-26 season was technically a club option, but the Spurs exercised this option early on October 18, 2024, effectively guaranteeing his salary for that season.
This early option exercise demonstrates the Spurs’ confidence in their young star, who has been dealing with a deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Additionally, the team secured his services while he was in the midst of a dominant sophomore campaign, averaging 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds and a league-leading 3.8 blocks per game.
Where he ranks among NBA salaries
Despite his elite performance, Wembanyama’s 2025 salary places him surprisingly low in league-wide rankings. He sits as the 131st highest-paid player in the NBA according to comprehensive salary data. Other sources rank him slightly higher at 127th or 129th, but all confirm his position outside the top 125 earners.
Among centers specifically, Wembanyama ranks as the 18th highest-paid at his position, and he’s only the 5th highest-paid player on the Spurs roster. This relatively modest compensation results from the NBA’s rookie scale contract system, which restricts how much first-round draft picks can earn regardless of their talent level or on-court impact.
Given Wembanyama’s status as the first overall pick and his remarkable statistical output, his ranking outside the top 100 salaries illustrates the significant value the Spurs are getting from their young superstar during his rookie contract years.
Inside the Rookie Contract: Terms and Structure
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The framework behind Victor Wembanyama’s rookie contract follows the standardized NBA rookie scale system, though the details reveal why his 2025 salary sits where it does. Let me break down the components that shape Wemby’s financial future.
Length and total value of the contract
Wembanyama signed a four-year contract with the San Antonio Spurs valued at $55.20 million. This represents the maximum possible deal under the NBA’s current labor agreement. His salary progression follows a predetermined scale, starting at $12.16 million for his rookie season and incrementally increasing to $16.87 million by 2026-27.
Notably, first-round picks like Wembanyama can sign for between 80% and 120% of the rookie scale amount. Furthermore, almost every player signs for the full 120%, which is exactly what Wembanyama did to maximize his earnings.
Team options and qualifying offer explained
Essentially, Wembanyama’s contract consists of two guaranteed years followed by two team options. The Spurs must decide on his third-year option (2025-26) by October 31, 2024, which they’ve already exercised, securing that $13.38 million salary.
The team option mechanism works as follows:
- Options must be exercised by October 31 following each season
- Notice must be delivered to the player or representative
- Team options cannot have lower salaries than previous seasons
Once Wembanyama completes his four-year rookie contract, he’ll be eligible for restricted free agency. At that point, the Spurs can extend a qualifying offer worth approximately $23.62 million, giving them the right to match any offer from another team.
What is the rookie scale exception?
The rookie scale exception allows teams to sign first-round draft picks regardless of their salary cap situation. This mechanism ensures top draft picks like Wembanyama can join their selecting team without cap constraints. Consequently, any NBA franchise can offer the full 120% rookie contract to their first-rounders.
This exception differs significantly from second-round picks, who don’t operate under the rookie scale and must be signed using other exceptions or cap space.
Year-by-Year Breakdown of Wemby’s Earnings
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Let’s examine Victor Wembanyama’s earnings trajectory throughout his rookie contract, showing how his wembanyama salary increases year by year under the NBA’s rookie scale system.
2023-24: Rookie season salary
Wembanyama began his NBA career with a rookie salary of $12,160,680. This initial compensation came after an impressive pre-NBA career with Metropolitans 92 of France’s LNB, where he led the club to the league final before losing to AS Monaco.
His first NBA season proved his worth as he averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 3.6 blocks in 29.7 minutes per game, earning All-Defensive First Team honors and finishing as the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up. This performance immediately justified the wemby salary investment.
2024-25: Current season earnings
For his sophomore campaign, Wembanyama’s salary increased to $12,768,960, representing approximately a 5% raise from his rookie season. This modest increase follows the predetermined rookie scale progression.
2025-26: Club option and salary jump
The victor wembanyama salary 2025 rises to $13,376,880, marking about a 4.8% increase from the previous season. Although originally structured as a team option, the Spurs exercised this option early on October 19, 2024, securing Wembanyama’s services through this third professional season.
This decision was a formality given his exceptional performance. His rising victor wembanyama contract value reflects the Spurs’ long-term commitment to their franchise cornerstone.
2026-27: Final year and RFA status
The fourth and final year of Wembanyama’s rookie contract includes another significant jump to $16,868,246, approximately a 26% increase from the previous season. This represents the largest year-over-year percentage increase in his initial deal.
Upon completion of this contract, Wembanyama will become a restricted free agent in 2027. At that point, the Spurs can extend a qualifying offer worth approximately $23,615,544 to maintain matching rights for any offers from competing teams.
Furthermore, in summer 2026, he becomes eligible for a rookie extension worth up to 25% of the salary cap—or potentially 30% if he meets certain performance milestones like All-NBA selection. Undoubtedly, the wembanyama salary will take a substantial leap forward after his rookie scale contract expires.
Performance, Injuries, and Value for Money
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When evaluating the true value of Victor Wembanyama’s contract, we need to look beyond the numbers to his on-court production and availability. His remarkable performances make his wemby salary appear increasingly like one of the NBA’s greatest bargains.
Stats from 2023 and 2024 seasons
In his rookie 2023-24 campaign, Wembanyama immediately established himself as an elite talent, averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals, and 3.6 blocks per game. These extraordinary numbers earned him unanimous Rookie of the Year honors and an All-Defensive First Team selection.
His sophomore season proved even more impressive until his injury. Through 46 games in 2024-25, Wembanyama elevated his production to 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals, and a league-leading 3.8 blocks per game. This outstanding performance earned him his first All-Star selection and made him the betting favorite for Defensive Player of the Year.
Games missed due to injuries
Throughout his rookie season, Wembanyama demonstrated surprising durability for a 7’3″ player, missing just 11 games. His first NBA absence came on December 1, 2023, due to right hip tightness.
Subsequently, ankle issues caused several absences, primarily keeping him out of back-to-backs as a precautionary measure. His longest injury absence as a rookie lasted merely three games due to a bruised right knee.
Unfortunately, his sophomore campaign ended prematurely after 46 games due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, which required surgery. Prior to this serious condition, he had appeared in 45 of the Spurs’ first 52 games.
Is Wemby living up to the contract?
Given his production, Wembanyama’s victor wembanyama salary 2025 of $13.38 million represents extraordinary value. As one analyst noted, “Wembanyama already is a bargain”. His impact extends far beyond statistics – the Spurs’ net rating drops by more than 10 points per 100 possessions whenever he’s off the court.
Moreover, his $12.77 million 2024-25 salary was “a gigantic steal, considering the season the Frenchman was having”. By his second year, Wembanyama had already demonstrated “the potential to be among the all-time greats”.
Barring further health complications, his wembanyama rookie contract will likely be remembered as one of the most team-friendly deals in NBA history, especially considering he could command a five-year, $271 million extension after completing his current contract.
Conclusion
Victor Wembanyama’s rookie contract presents one of the most fascinating salary situations in the NBA today. Despite his generational talent and game-changing abilities, his 2025 salary of $13.38 million ranks him shockingly low at 127th among NBA players. This disparity between performance and compensation certainly showcases the restrictive nature of the NBA’s rookie scale system.
The numbers tell a compelling story. His four-year, $55.2 million deal delivers tremendous value to the San Antonio Spurs while constraining his earnings during his most formative professional years. Though the team exercised his 2025-26 option early, Wembanyama must wait until 2027 for his first opportunity at a significant payday.
Many factors determine a player’s value beyond salary figures. Wembanyama’s extraordinary statistical production – exceeding 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game – coupled with his defensive dominance makes his contract appear increasingly like highway robbery. Even with injury concerns, particularly the deep vein thrombosis that cut short his sophomore campaign, his impact when healthy transforms the Spurs’ fortunes dramatically.
The future looks financially brighter for the French phenom. Eventually, his restricted free agency status will trigger a qualifying offer around $23.62 million, though this figure represents merely the starting point. The Spurs undoubtedly view him as their franchise cornerstone, potentially setting him up for a massive five-year, $271 million extension after his rookie deal concludes.
Basketball history shows us how rookie contracts for transcendent talents often appear criminally undervalued in retrospect. Therefore, while Wembanyama’s 2025 salary might seem modest now, his trajectory suggests we’ll soon look back at this period as the bargain era before his earnings matched his extraordinary talents. The victor wembanyama salary story demonstrates the peculiar economics of NBA stardom – where the greatest values come from the greatest talents locked into predefined rookie scale contracts.
FAQs
Q1. What is Victor Wembanyama’s salary for the 2025-26 NBA season?
Ans: Victor Wembanyama’s salary for the 2025-26 NBA season is $13,376,880. This represents his third year in the league and shows a steady progression from his previous seasons with the San Antonio Spurs.
Q2. How does Wembanyama’s 2025 salary compare to other NBA players?
Ans: Despite his elite performance, Wembanyama’s 2025 salary ranks surprisingly low in the league. He sits around the 127th-131st highest-paid player in the NBA, placing him outside the top 125 earners.
Q3. What is the structure of Wembanyama’s rookie contract?
Ans: Wembanyama signed a four-year contract with the San Antonio Spurs valued at $55.20 million. It consists of two guaranteed years followed by two team options, with his salary incrementally increasing each year.
Q4. How has Wembanyama performed in his first two NBA seasons?
Ans: In his rookie season, Wembanyama averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 3.6 blocks per game. His sophomore season saw even better numbers, with 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, and a league-leading 3.8 blocks per game before an injury cut his season short.
Q5. When will Wembanyama be eligible for a significant salary increase?
Ans: Wembanyama will become a restricted free agent in 2027 after completing his rookie contract. At that point, he’ll be eligible for a substantial pay raise, potentially including a five-year, $271 million extension if he meets certain performance criteria.