NBA Offseason Grades: Spurs Get A for Wembanyama Extension
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- San Antonio Spurs earned an A grade primarily for locking Wembanyama into a 25% maximum extension rather than a potential 30% supermax, which Kram estimates could save the franchise more than $50 million over half a decade.
- Utah Jazz also received an A after trading Walker Kessler for two unprotected first-round picks and two swaps in what Kram calls "arguably the best trade of the summer," taking a short-term step back for significant future value.
- Philadelphia 76ers earned an A- by swapping 36-year-old Paul George for 29-year-old All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown, giving the franchise a clearer path to the Finals than it had entering the summer.
- Charlotte Hornets received an A- after dealing Miles Bridges and LaMelo Ball to stockpile draft picks and reorient around Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel, trading immediate wins for long-term positioning.
- Miami Heat landed Giannis Antetokounmpo but still received only a B, with Kram citing Giannis's age (31), a troubling injury history, a projected weak backcourt, and a lack of depth and draft assets after the trade.
- Milwaukee Bucks received a B for the Giannis return package but were dinged for a four-year, $64 million Gary Trent Jr. contract that was reportedly so unusual it provoked an NBA investigation.
- Memphis Grizzlies got a B after finally moving Ja Morant for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray (no draft picks), with Kram framing the deal as a clean-slate reset around Cameron Boozer, Cedric Coward, and Zach Edey.
Why it matters: The Spurs' choice to sign Wembanyama at 25% rather than push for a 30% supermax could ripple through the next CBA fight, giving both ownership and the players' union a new data point on extension economics. In Miami, a B despite landing Giannis shows that landing a superstar is no longer enough — backcourt depth, draft capital, and age curves still determine whether a roster can actually contend. And the Bucks' Trent deal reportedly triggering an NBA investigation signals the league is actively policing suspect contracts rather than rubber-stamping them.
