Victor Wembanyama could boost another NBA player’s bank account thanks to his injury

The NBA is a battleground where the best give their all on the court. However, after All-Star Weekend, the San Antonio Spurs and their fans learned that Victor Wembanyama will miss the rest of the campaign. Although it’s sad news, another NBA player could benefit.

In fact, “benefit” is an understatement. With Victor Wembanyama’s unfortunate injury, another NBA player’s bank account could reach astronomical figures, with plenty of zeros. You’re probably wondering why, and it’s because the NBA moves huge sums of money.

Victor Wembanyama makes another player a millionaire

Well, it looks like an impressive contract is on the horizon. A figure close to what the Dallas Mavericks didn’t give Luka Doncic. In all this, Victor Wembanyama’s injury is the main reason why this might happen.

You see, with Victor Wembanyama out for the season, the Memphis Grizzlies‘ power forward, Jaren Jackson Jr., has become the favorite to win the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award.

Viewed this way, any fan would celebrate this achievement for the team and, of course, for the player. However, the situation is a bit more complicated. Since Victor Wembanyama isn’t eligible, Jaren Jackson Jr. has a high chance of winning, putting Memphis in a financial tight spot.

A lucrative contract

According to Front Office Sports, if Jaren Jackson Jr. wins the DPOY, he could be eligible for a super max contract worth $345 million. There’s no mistake in that figure—the Grizzlies’ player could earn that amount. If so, it would be partly thanks to Victor Wembanyama.

What is bad luck for some can translate to millions for others within the NBA. No one anticipated Victor Wembanyama’s injury. Let’s remember that the 21-year-old French player suffered a deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.

Victor Wembanyama was averaging 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, along with 3.8 blocks and 1.1 steals. These numbers made him the most promising candidate to win the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award. However, the 21-year-old can’t compete for the award because he won’t meet the required number of games played. He only played 46 of the minimum 65 games.

With this, everything is up in the air, and many questions remain. Some wonder if Jaren Jackson Jr. is worth that amount of money. Others are concerned about how the Grizzlies would afford that contract. Additionally, there’s a discussion about whether NBA awards could create destructive contracts for the league itself. Only time will answer these questions. Meanwhile, we hope for Victor Wembanyama‘s recovery.