4 Ways drafting Victor Wembanyama will shift the Spurs' offseason plans

1: The Spurs franchise is now on the clock

The imminent addition of Wembanyama puts the Spurs' rebuild on the clock. They will have him on a rookie-scale deal for four seasons before he will almost certainly make at least 30% of a soon-to-be skyrocketing salary cap. Based on recent number-one picks, San Antonio may only have eight seasons before Wembanyama can hit unrestricted free agency.

It could take the Spurs a few seasons to make the playoffs, leaving them only six years to prove they can build a contender with Wembanyama. That may sound like a long time, but the Mavericks drafted Luka Doncic in 2018, and there are already rumblings about his time in Dallas dwindling. Another down year, and they may not get two more seasons to convince him that he can win in Dallas.

Wembanyama may not be the type to demand a trade, but it was once unthinkable for Kawhi Leonard to ask out of San Antonio; now he's kicking it with the Clippers. The Spurs' decision to draft Wembanyama outweighs any potential downside, but they will have to prove themselves quicker than most fans might expect.