5 Reasons the Spurs landing Victor Wembanyama is only the beginning

5. Adding Wembanyama skyrockets the value of the Spurs

We will get to the on-court implications of Wembanyama's addition in a bit, but it's impossible to overlook the effect he will have on the valuation of the Spurs franchise.

According to NBC Sports, the Spurs were the 19th most valuable franchise in the NBA in 2023, with a valuation of $2.16 billion. That's a great return from the Holt families' original $76 million purchase of the team, but it should only get better with the addition of Wembanyama. 

For perspective, look at how the Bucks' value skyrocketed after they drafted Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks were worth $550 million in 2014. Today they're valued at $2.43 billion. That's an incredible return on investment for the Bucks' ownership group. While several deep playoff runs and an NBA championship contributed to that growth, it should still set a relatively comparable range of improvement for what the Holt family can anticipate in the coming years.

Furthermore, downtown Milwaukee has completely transformed since 2013, with the development of the Deer District and surrounding areas driving an influx of tax revenue that added $57.6 million to the city of Milwaukee's coffers during the Bucks' championship run in 2021. 

There is no reason to think the Spurs and the city of San Antonio shouldn't undergo a similar transformation over the next decade or so. Their new $500 million practice facility that opens this fall could be the tip of the iceberg. 

You can see the impact Wembanyama is having on the Spurs in real-time. In the hours since it became clear that he would wear Silver and Black for the foreseeable future, interest in the Spurs has taken off. An often ignored franchise has been front and center on ESPN and other major media outlets, and that interest is translating directly to ticket sales.

That interest isn't going to slow down over the next few years. Add a few playoff appearances, and the Spurs could be on their way to being one of the most valuable franchises in the NBA.

Forget the "small market" label they have donned over the years. San Antonio is one of the largest cities in the United States and just landed the brightest international prospect in NBA history. The Spurs' value and influence across the league will explode over the coming years as a direct result of a few lottery balls bouncing their way.