Carter Bryant praises Victor Wembanyama's contract sacrifice for Spurs

LAS VEGAS - Spurs forward Carter Bryant and assistant coach Corliss Williamson praised Victor Wembanyama on Saturday for signing a rookie-scale contract extension below the maximum value available to the superstar center.

The Spurs announced they had signed Wembanyama to a multi-year contract extension on Friday. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

But a league-source confirmed Wembanyama agreed to a five-year, $252 million extension, opting for a 25% maximum instead of the 30% supermax escalators to get to $303 million. That means the 22-year-old Frenchman left about $50 million-plus on the table to help the Spurs build a strong roster with the goal of remaining a championship contender for years to come after they reached the NBA Finals last season.

"I don't think anybody was surprised on that in terms of the type of person he is," Bryant said after scoring a team-high 19 points in the Spurs' 70-49 victory over New York in the 2026 NBA Summer League.

"He's a winner, so whatever he can do to make the team better, that's what he's going to do every time," added Bryant, who has developed a strong friendship with Wembanyama.

Wembanyama's decision gives the Spurs more salary cap flexibility to sign Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper to extensions when they are eligible for rookie-scale extensions next summer and in 2028, respectively. The guards have All-Star potential and figure to be main players in Wembanyama's supporting cast.

Williamson, who is guiding the Summer Spurs as he closes in on the one-year anniversary of joining the franchise, called Wembanyama a "special person" when asked about his decision to take the team-friendly extension, which includes a player option for the fifth season.

"It just says a lot about his character," Williamson said. "It says a lot about his family, how he was raised, to be able to sacrifice like that and think about the bigger picture rather than thinking about himself. You don't meet many like that. And when you do, you got to count that as a blessing, especially when they're on your side."

Williamson was also pleased to learn the Spurs had signed forward Harrison Barnes, 34, to a one-year, $8 million deal to return for a third season with the club.

"I don't even want to count the years (he's been in the league)," Williamson said. "I don't know if it's 15, 16, whatever the case may be (actually 14). But he's been around the block a few times. He's won a championship (in 2015 with Golden State). He knows what it takes. He has the respect of his teammates. They really look to him. He's a good leader, talks to them on the bench, talks to them in the locker room and really helps us out in that aspect."

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This story was originally published July 12, 2026 at 4:16 AM.