Stunning Jalen Brunson deal sets precedent Spurs fans hope Wembanyama follows

The San Antonio Spurs may benefit from elite timing. The new CBA is having a stronger impact than people expected. The rules have very stern penalties for teams that enter the first apron tax level and if you dare to venture into the second apron, the repercussions are almost crippling to a franchise. It's funny to think about when you consider that the collective bargaining agreement must be agreed upon by the owners. So, you may wonder why they would impose such harsh penalties on themselves, but the answer is simple: greed.

A widening view seems to be that NBA players' contracts are getting out of control. There's no better example than the $285 million contract Jaylen Brown signed last offseason—the richest in NBA history. Many thought it was a gross overpay, forgetting how much money these organizations rake in every year. The Celtics are valued at 4.7 billion dollars, so they can afford to pay the players that make that profit possible what they're worth—something the Knicks don't have to do.

The rules have taken effect, so now teams are forced to be more careful with the contracts they give out. If you want to field a contending team, tough decisions will need to be made, but those choices are made easier when a noble superstar willingly takes a pay cut to ensure the resources are there to build a contender. That's what Jalen Brunson did with the New York Knicks.

Jayson Tatum signed the most recent max contract valued at $314 million—he'll receive $54 million in two years, and in the final year, he'll earn $71 million. It is hard to imagine what those numbers are going to be by the time Victor Wembanyama reaches his contract extension, but they're sure to make the players of the past jealous of the new bag athletes get today.

That makes this move by Brunson more important than ever, as other superstars may be inclined to follow suit, giving their teams more flexibility to keep a competent roster. Not everyone will do it. But Wembanyama has made it clear that winning is his highest priority, so Spurs fans have to hope that remains the case when payday rolls around for the big fella.