NBA Vet Hypes Wembanyama: Players Will Take Pay Cuts on Contracts to Join Spurs in FA

It took just one year for San Antonio Spurs star big man Victor Wembanyama to establish himself as a championship-level talent.

A veteran NBA player told ESPN's Andrew Lopez that he believes "other vets will take less money" in free agency this offseason for the chance to play with Wembanyama because he "could increase their chances of winning."

The No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft met and exceeded all expectations, averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and a league-high 3.6 blocks.

He's just the second rookie in NBA history to lead the league in blocks and he finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He was unanimously named Rookie of the Year and he became the first rookie ever to be selected to the All-Defensive first team.

Lopez added that "other vets have talked all season about how special of a player Wembanyama is."

The only thing missing from Wembanyama's rookie season was team success, as the Spurs finished 14th in the Western Conference with a 22-60 record. San Antonio will have the No. 4 and No. 8 picks in this month's NBA draft, giving the team the chance to add another talented prospect.

However, the Spurs could also use an injection of veteran leadership after having the youngest roster in the NBA last season. Perhaps the team would be open to trading one of its lottery picks to add one of the top trade candidates on the market to pair with Wembanyama.

Whatever San Antonio decides, it's clear that this could be a crucial offseason for the franchise to complete its rebuild and reestablish itself as a contender in the West.