“In No Other Workplace Are People Asked to Take a Pay Cut”: Kendrick Perkins Criticizes Spurs Star for Leaving $51 Million on the Table to Help Team Preserve Championship Core
Victor Wembanyama has committed his long-term future to the San Antonio Spurs while potentially sacrificing approximately $51 million — a decision that has drawn sharp criticism despite the financial flexibility it gives the franchise.
The 22-year-old superstar signed a five-year, $252 million maximum rookie-scale extension that includes a player option for the final season and will keep him under contract through the 2031-32 NBA season.
Although $252 million is hardly a traditional pay cut, Wembanyama declined contract language that could have increased the deal from 25% to 30% of the NBA salary cap. Had he met certain performance requirements next season, including another Defensive Player of the Year award, an MVP award or an All-NBA selection, the extension could have grown to roughly $303 million.
By removing those escalator provisions, Wembanyama potentially left about $51 million on the table and gave San Antonio greater flexibility to build around him. The Spurs officially announced the multiyear extension without disclosing its financial terms.
Wembanyama’s Sacrifice Questioned
During ESPN’s “First Take,” analyst Kendrick Perkins criticized Wembanyama’s decision, arguing that professional athletes should not be expected to accept less than their full market value.
“Although basketball is entertainment to us and we love to watch it, it is a job to the rest of the players,” Perkins said. “In no other workspace are people asked to take a pay cut. That’s not how it works.”
"I think it's a bad decision." @KendrickPerkins doesn't like Wemby taking a pay cut 😮 pic.twitter.com/OCXBDqzesW
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 13, 2026
Perkins said he would never advise a young player to leave money available during contract negotiations, particularly one with Wembanyama’s value to his franchise.
“A guy that is selling jerseys, a guy that is putting butts in seats, a guy that has brought San Antonio back to being relevant again,” Perkins said. “When you think about what he is doing and has done already for this franchise, I think it is a bad decision.”
NBA analyst Vincent Goodwill raised similar concerns, describing the contract as potentially damaging to players across the league.
“I hate it because ain’t neither one of us sitting here gonna leave money on the table,” Goodwill said. “I think it sets a bad precedent for the NBA.”
Goodwill argued that recent collective bargaining agreements have increasingly benefited ownership groups and said players should not be celebrated for voluntarily surrendering earning power.
Could the Deal Pressure Castle and Harper?
Wembanyama’s discount could become particularly significant as San Antonio prepares for future negotiations with its other young stars.
“The Spurs have three potential max players on their roster: Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper,” Goodwill said. “Victor Wembanyama maybe can make up that 5% with his Nike deal and everything else.”
Goodwill questioned whether Castle and Harper could eventually face pressure to follow Wembanyama’s example, even though they may not have the same endorsement income or financial security.
“Does that mean Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle, they have to take less because Victor Wembanyama took less?” Goodwill asked.
He also rejected the argument that fans care more about a team’s financial flexibility than the players responsible for winning games.
“I’ve yet to see anybody buy a jersey that says, ‘We save money’ on the back of it,” Goodwill said. “I’ve yet to see somebody buy a jersey that says, ‘Cap space and flexibility.’”
Goodwill said the responsibility for building a championship roster should remain with executives and ownership rather than falling on players through salary concessions.
“When’s the last time we asked an owner to sacrifice some money for the sake of winning?” he said. “The fact that you’re putting players in a spot where they have to be both player and executive, give them two salaries then because they’re doing two people’s jobs.”
Discount Gives Spurs More Room to Keep Their Core
From a team-building perspective, Wembanyama’s contract could save the Spurs roughly $10 million annually compared with a 30% supermax extension.
That additional space could help San Antonio retain Castle, Harper and other important contributors while navigating the NBA’s increasingly restrictive luxury-tax system. Wembanyama’s decision has been compared with Jalen Brunson’s team-friendly extension with the New York Knicks, another deal structured to give a contender more flexibility.
The move also demonstrates Wembanyama’s confidence in the Spurs organization following San Antonio’s run to the 2026 NBA Finals. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year helped lead the Spurs to a 62-20 regular-season record before they lost the championship series to the New York Knicks in five games.
Shortly after reaching the agreement, Wembanyama made his priorities clear.
Spurs family, I’m here to stay.
— Wemby (@wemby) July 10, 2026
Whatever it takes🖤
“Spurs family, I’m here to stay,” he wrote on social media. “Whatever it takes.”
For San Antonio, the contract strengthens the franchise’s chances of keeping a potential championship roster together. For Perkins and Goodwill, however, the concern extends beyond one player or one team.
Wembanyama may be comfortable sacrificing potential earnings to pursue championships, but analysts fear his decision could become a standard that other young stars are unfairly expected to meet.
