Victor Wembanyama's $50 million move has Carter Bryant saying what everyone was thinking

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Victor Wembanyama has officially signed a five-year, $252 million maximum rookie-scale contract extension with the San Antonio Spurs. The new deal will pay him an average of $50.4 million annually and includes a player option for the final year.

However, the biggest talking point around the NBA is that the franchise star voluntarily gave up more than $50 million that he could have earned under a larger extension.

The decision did not come as a surprise to Spurs young star Carter Bryant. Speaking ahead of San Antonio's Summer League game on Saturday, Bryant shared his thoughts on Wembanyama's willingness to sacrifice a significant amount of money in order to help the organization.

"I don't think anybody was surprised. He's a winner. Whatever he can do to make the team better, that's what he's going to do every time,” Bryant said.

Like Bryant, fans will also accept that money has never appeared to be the driving force behind Wembanyama's career decisions. Back in December, the Spurs superstar was asked whether the NBA Cup prize money served as extra motivation. Wembanyama made it clear that accumulating wealth has never been one of his life's primary goals.

The French big man earned All-NBA First Team honors and won the Defensive Player of the Year award last season. Hence, he became fully eligible for a "Rose Rule" supermax extension worth up to 30% of the salary cap.

Instead, he opted for a standard 25% maximum contract without any salary escalators. By doing so, Wembanyama has provided the Spurs with valuable financial flexibility under the NBA's restrictive tax apron rules. The front office now has more room to strengthen the roster and continue building a championship-caliber team around its young superstar.

More NBA news:​

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• Why Cavaliers fans think Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus leaked LeBron James' decision
• What rare move did the Spurs make before Victor Wembanyama turned down millions?
• Why Victor Wembanyama may leave money on table in new Spurs contract
• Frontcourt logjam could force Mavs into a trade as rookie additions create crowded rotation

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