The 5 most underpaid San Antonio Spurs for next season

#1: Victor Wembanyama

Even without having played a single game for the Spurs yet, rookie Victor Wembanyama is the most underpaid player on the team. That is by design since rookie-scale contracts were instituted to prevent young players from signing lucrative contracts to start their careers. Instead, Wembanyama will receive just $12.4 million next season and $55 million over his first four seasons in the NBA.

That is great news for the Spurs, who won't have to pay a potential All-Star-caliber player much more than the mid-level exception until 2027–28. Even if it takes him a while to get fully acclimated to the NBA, Wembanyama could still be a game-changing presence on the defensive end. The Spurs were last in defensive rating in 2022–23, and with a player who averaged three blocks a game last season joining the team, it could help get them back to league average.

That alone would be good for at least half a dozen wins. And if Wembanyama can live up to expectations on offense, then he would be a shoo-in for Rookie of the Year and among the best players in the league right out of the gate. Even the potential of that happening makes him underpaid, especially when taking into account that he will be just the third-highest player on the team next season.