After taking them to their first NBA Finals in 12 years, it surprised absolutely no one that the San Antonio Spurs extended Victor Wembanyama the first chance they get. However, the one twist that everyone, especially the Utah Jazz, should pay heed to is the fact that Wembanyama took a paycut on the deal.
ESPN's Shams Charania revealed the full details, indicating that Wembanyama took less.
Wembanyama decided on the 25% maximum instead of the 30% supermax escalators to $303M, after he and the Spurs went through multiple frameworks. A major decision for the All-NBA star and Defensive Player of the Year entering his fourth season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 10, 2026
San Antonio worked in close… https://t.co/CaPIeGtiZ4
Why did he do this? Because it helps the Spurs with their long-term flexibility. Despite being the NBA's most gargantuan figure since LeBron James, Wembanyama met the middle ground on being paid like a superstar while also making sure San Antonio builds the best team around him long-term.
So what does this have to do with the Jazz? Well, Keyonte George's extension is coming up. He has given Utah every single indication possible that he wants to stay on the team, between his breakout and his off-the-court actions. However, he's also entitled to believe he's a due a sizable pay raise.
He's not worth as much as Wembanyama is, that's for sure. However, the Jazz should see to it that he gets a raise, but with how strict the CBA is, they may be a little cautious. But if George is as much of a team player as he says he is, Utah could use Wembanyama's extension to give him the opportunity to prove it.
Ideally, George can get a deal both lucrative & team-friendly
Utah has every reason to want George on the team for the foreseeable future. There's been no hint that they don't. A subtle indication that they do was the Walker Kessler trade. The Jazz may have traded Kessler primarily to get those golden assets from the Lakers, but it was also to stay flexible long-term.
Trading Kessler makes re-signing George as important as ever. The Wembanyama news can work in their favor because the Jazz can sell him on the fact that they want to pay him while also maintaining their flexibility to stay good for longer than just a few years.
It's very possible that George will want more than what the Jazz are willing to offer. It makes sense that he would. This whole situation exists because the NBA has made it harder than ever for good teams to keep their title core together. The Celtics just traded Jaylen Brown because they didn't want to pay him what he was going to ask for. The Knicks just let Mitchell Robinson go to the Celtic because they didn't want to cross the NBA's second tax apron.
Those are just a few examples. The Jazz will have to deal with this too. In case it wasn't clear, they already have. Luckily, the Wembanyama extension can work in their favor. It will depend on if George wants to play ball.
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