Just days before the start of the San Antonio Spurs regular season, they managed to sign yet another key piece of their young team to a new contract. The team signed starting center Zach Collins to a two-year, $35 million extension, keeping him a member of the Spurs until 2026.
The decision to extend him was somewhat surprising considering that most of the extensions that occur just before the start of the season are for players on rookie-scale deals. At 26, he is entering the final season of his second contract.
Despite that, Collins is coming off a strong preseason where he exhibited terrific passing, good 3-point shooting, and improved rim protection. He posted an impressive 14.3 points on 35.7 percent shooting from three, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists in just 21.7 minutes per game.
Preseason caveats aside, his recent performance reinforces his strong play over the second half of last season. Now that the Spurs have Victor Wembanyama, they need a center who can play alongside him and the early results suggest he is that player. But is he worth the contract extension that the Spurs signed him to?