Spurs
Victor Wembanyama could have positioned himself to make considerably more money on his new contract with the Spurs. Instead, he deliberately left that possibility on the table.
Wembanyama signed a five-year rookie-scale maximum extension earlier this month that’s projected to be worth about $252 million. But the deal does not contain Rose Rule language, meaning his starting salary in 2027-28 will be 25 percent of the cap rather than potentially jumping to 30 percent if he meets certain performance benchmarks next season.
Considering Wembanyama’s trajectory, that’s no small concession. But he told Jason Jones of The Athletic that it was intentional, with an eye toward giving San Antonio a better chance to keep building around him.
“We have a good team, we had a very good playoff run, and we had a very good regular season. But what’s even better and greater is our potential,” Wembanyama said. “The reality of today’s NBA is that often, the potential of teams is not fulfilled because of money. I just want to make sure it’s never our case.”
The decision could save the Spurs somewhere in the neighborhood of $50 million over the life of the contract.
And the timing matters. Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper will become eligible for rookie-scale extensions over the next two offseasons, meaning San Antonio’s payroll is going to get considerably more expensive if its young core continues developing as expected.
Wembanyama just helped lead the Spurs to the NBA Finals. Now he’s essentially betting that leaving some money available will give the organization a better opportunity to get back there, and eventually finish the job.
Suns
The Suns say they did extensive homework on Miles Bridges‘ off-court history before acquiring him this offseason.
At Bridges’ introductory press conference Wednesday, general manager Brian Gregory addressed the organization’s decision to trade for the veteran forward, who faced a felony domestic violence charge in 2022 before reaching a plea agreement that included three years of probation.
Gregory told Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic that Phoenix examined not only what happened, but what Bridges had done since.
“We also looked into was there accountability taken? Was there remorse? Was he growing as a person off the court?” Gregory said.
Gregory said the Suns ultimately became convinced Bridges could meet the standards the organization expects. Bridges, meanwhile, acknowledged that he understands the reaction to his arrival in Phoenix won’t be universally positive.
“It’s mixed feelings about me being here, but, you know, I take full responsibility, you know, my actions,” Bridges said.
Bridges said he underwent counseling and therapy for years and is now focused primarily on becoming a better person and father, along with earning the trust of the Phoenix community.
He sat out the entire 2022-23 season while his case played out and was suspended for the first 10 games of the following season after re-signing with the Hornets.
For Phoenix, there was never much question about Bridges’ ability as a basketball player. Gregory made clear that the Suns believed they needed to be comfortable with everything else before making the deal.
Pistons
The Pistons didn’t stand still this summer. They just went about reshaping the roster without making the sort of blockbuster move that tends to dominate July.
Detroit traded Isaiah Stewart and Caris LeVert, lost Tobias Harris in free agency, and moved Marcus Sasser. In came John Collins, Taurean Prince and Isaiah Joe, while Kevin Huerter and Javonte Green were re-signed.
The Pistons also moved up in the draft for point guard Ebuka Okorie.
So they’re different. Whether they’re significantly better may depend on what happens next.
Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press notes that Detroit will miss Stewart’s physicality and rim protection, along with the steadying presence and leadership Harris provided.
On the other hand, the Pistons badly needed shooting around Cade Cunningham, and the additions of Joe and Collins should help there.
The biggest unresolved matter is restricted free agent Jalen Duren.
As Hunter Patterson of The Athletic notes, Detroit’s offseason could look considerably better if the Pistons can retain Duren at a reasonable number and the 22-year-old center takes another step forward.
What Detroit did not acquire was another high-level scorer and creator capable of consistently taking some of the offensive burden away from Cunningham.
That doesn’t necessarily make the offseason a failure. The Pistons added shooting, changed the mix around their star and retained some useful pieces. But much of the ultimate grade may come down to Duren, both what it costs to keep him and what he becomes from here.
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