Victor Wembanyama will need to be Defensive Player of the Year or be named to an All-NBA team again next season in order to qualify for the 30 percent Rookie Scale max. Wembanyama was on his way to winning Defensive Player of the Year during the 2024-25 season, but he didn't reach the 65-game minimum due to his deep vein thrombosis condition diagnosed after the All-Star break in 2025.

Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs will almost certainly reach agreement this offseason on a five-year, $251 million max extension that contains language to increase the total amount to $301 million if he qualifies.

When Luka Doncic was up for his Rookie Scale extension, he had already qualified for the full 30 percent as he was coming off two successive All-NBA selections.

Wembanyama is virtually certain to be an All-NBA player again next season based on the merits of his play, but he will have to qualify for it again, which he did despite playing in only 64 games by virtue of appearing in the NBA Cup final. Wembanyama's ability to accumulate multiple Defensive Player of the Year and possibly Most Valuable Player awards will largely be determined by his ability to qualify for them by playing in at least 65 games per year. During the 2026-27 season, Wembanyama will have as much as $50 million riding on it.

Another element to monitor is whether Wembanyama receives a player option on his extension. Paolo Banchero is the only player since the 2018 draft to receive a player option on a rookie max extension. Wembanyama's earnings for Year 5 will be significantly higher with a player option that allows him to replace a 25 or 30 percent max with a 35 percent supermax assuming he also qualifies for that in the future.