New Delhi, July 11 -- the one where the San Antonio Spurs either build a championship around him or they don't.

He signed for less than he could have waited for. The 22-year-old was eligible for the designated rookie extension under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which would have paid him 25 percent of the projected salary cap over five seasons starting in 2027. The Derrick Rose Rule, the CBA provision allowing a player on the designated max to escalate to 30 percent if he wins MVP, makes All-NBA, or receives Defensive Player of the Year consideration before the extension locks in, was in front of him. He had done one of those things. He chose not to wait.

"I'm here to stay," Wembanyama said Thursday at a news conference arranged ...