24 Hours After Victor Wembanyama’s Urge for NBA Championship, Spurs Make $35 Million Decision to Fulfill 7ft Giant’s Desire

After some discouraging seasons, the San Antonio Spurs look primed to build a solid base. Victor Wembanyama is the central part of what they want to do in the future. And during the preseason, he showcased early flashes of greatness. As he showed these flashes, his squad also looked much more threatening. However, to be a contender, the team still looks a few years away. The young core of Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, and Wemby look set for long-term glory.

For now, even making it to the Play-in slate can be considered a success. To further bolster their depth, the team extends someone who held the fort last season.

Victor Wembanyama has a solid backup Center

While having Wemby in the middle means that opportunities can be short for the ones backing him up. However, that is not the case. Two major reasons can be that he can face a minute restriction in the beginning itself. Apart from that, he can miss multiple games due to load management. Therefore, the team needs quality production from that position.

That’s why they decided to give 7ft Zach Collins a two-year $35 million extension.

He averaged a career-high 11.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game last season. Collins was impressive during the preseason, scoring in double-figures during all the games and dishing around four assists each game. Therefore, his ability to pass as a big man surely comes in handy for the team. 

Apart from that, he is still just 25 years old, and last season; he showcased tremendous improvement offensively. He is a perfect fit alongside Wemby as an injury insurance, too.

While he is nowhere near Wembanyama’s level on either end, he can hold his own. This $35 million deal follows a five-year, $146 million extension for Devin Vassell. The management is trusting the current young core.

Encouraging signs for the young core

Vassell’s scoring is a big-time plus to form a terrific inside-outside duo with The Alien. Apart from that, Keldon Johnson is also a multi-faceted quick scorer. Meanwhile, Sochan is an exciting young talent. He showed tremendous playmaking potential and can become a superb defender, rebounder, and scorer in the long term. Wemby will hope that this core develops soon after declaring his intention to win a championship soon.

READ MORE: Still to Play 1st NBA Game, Victor Wembanyama Receives an Elite “Top-5” Honor From Celtics Legend

Collins is a terrific complimentary piece. The upcoming season will be huge for these young stalwarts. Defensive issues were ripe last season. Their prized French superstar helps in that regard, but it is a five-man game at the end of the day. What is the ceiling for this emerging squad?

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