Victor Wembanyama has already changed the way the league thinks about building a roster, and the ripple effect may not be done yet.
Last season’s emergence from the San Antonio Spurs didn’t just help deliver the franchise its first NBA Finals appearance in 12 years. It also pushed Western Conference teams to load up on size this summer, as if the path to the top now runs straight through the French star.
That’s why names like Mo Wagner and Jock Landale entered the conversation for teams looking to add bulk. The logic is clear. If you’re trying to win big, you probably need bodies that can stand up to Wembanyama.
The problem is that those types may not be enough.
There is, however, one player who could eventually surface as a real answer: Anthony Davis.
At 33, Davis no longer carries the same shine he had before leaving the Los Angeles Lakers, when he was essentially giving you 25 points and 12 rebounds every night. His value took another hit when he was traded for Luka Doncic, and the injuries that followed have only pushed more of his elite traits into the background.
Now with the Washington Wizards, Davis is at a crossroads with his new team. The organization is reportedly holding off on meaningful extension talks until the 2026-27 season, according to The Athletic, even though he became extension-eligible Aug. 6.
If Davis declines his $62.8 million player option for 2027-28, he would be in line to sign a four-year maximum extension with Washington worth roughly $275 million.
The Wizards have said all offseason that Davis is, will and wants to be a Wizard. Still, keeping him unsigned long term leaves the door open for the trade chatter that has followed him for months.
And if a Western Conference contender decides Davis is the best way to deal with Wembanyama, Washington would almost certainly have to listen.
Wizards GM Will Dawkins has been public about Davis’ status, but he has also built a reputation for sharp decision-making. If a Spurs rival comes with a massive offer built around Davis, the Wizards will at least have to hear it out.
For now, Davis is being asked to show he still deserves the kind of money that comes with a max deal, especially for a center entering his mid-30s and carrying an injury history that teams can’t ignore.
In Other News...
Spurs Fans Just Got A Lonnie Walker Reunion They Didn't Expect
Lonnie Walker IV is back in the Western Conference mix, this time on a one-year deal with the Denver Nuggets. For Spurs fans, it is another reminder of a player who once came through San Antonio as a draft pick and has since bounced around the league and overseas before landing in Denver, where he is expected to give the defending West powers a deeper bench.
Walkers path has always made him one of those names that can pop up anywhere and still feel familiar in San Antonio. The Nuggets are betting on him as reserve insurance and another source of perimeter depth, while Spurs supporters are left watching an old friend re-enter the conference in a role that could matter if Denvers second unit needs a lift. [Read more 🡒]
Stephon Castle Decision Could Shape Spurs' Long-Term Title Window
The conversation around rookie max extensions has shifted lately, and ESPNs Bobby Marks pointed to a possible new pattern after the recent trade involving Zaccharie Risacher to Dallas. For San Antonio, that matters because Stephon Castle has quickly become one of the most important young pieces on a roster already built around Victor Wembanyama, and the Spurs have spent years establishing the kind of team culture that makes long-term planning feel intentional rather than reactive.
If Castle keeps developing at the expected pace, he could land in the same contract conversation, and the timing of that decision would carry real weight for the Spurs salary cap and their bigger championship picture. San Antonio has already set one precedent with Wembanyama, and what happens with Castle could help determine how tightly the franchise can hold together its core while keeping a clear path to a title window that is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Could Face A Brutal Devin Vassell Decision Soon
The Spurs are already staring at the kind of payroll squeeze that can arrive faster than a young team expects. With Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper all set to command bigger extensions down the line, San Antonio will have to map out how much money it can realistically commit around its core while the salary cap keeps climbing. Devin Vassell sits squarely in the middle of that conversation because his deal is part of the structure the front office now has to fit everything else around.
It is the sort of long-range planning that can force uncomfortable choices even when the basketball fit still makes sense. San Antonio would prefer to keep as much talent as possible, but the second apron is the type of line teams have learned to treat seriously, especially when one more hefty contract could tip the balance. For the Spurs, the question is not whether Vassell matters. It is how long they can keep the roster together before the math starts demanding a harder answer. [Read more 🡒]