The San Antonio Spurs will renew the 10-day contract of veteran center Bismack Biyombo, per KENS 5 San Antonio’s Nate Ryan. This news comes on the heels of Biyombo tallying eight points (4-4 FG), three rebounds, two assists, and one steal during Thursday night’s victory against the Phoenix Suns, as he started in place of sophomore sensation Victor Wembanyama.
Spurs Renew Bismack Biyombo’s Contract Post-Victor Wembanyama Diagnosis
Wembanyama, diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis, will miss the remainder of the season. Fortunately for not just the Spurs but the league as a whole, the 2023 No. 1 pick is expected to make a full recovery. Nonetheless, and perhaps in part due to their decision to trade for De’Aaron Fox, San Antonio is still fighting for a playoff spot,
Source: #Spurs are renewing the 10-day contract of F/C Bismack Biyombo.
The 32-year old started last night’s win, and finished w/ 8 points & 3 rebounds. They were his first NBA minutes of the season. pic.twitter.com/ZvzEPkILNF
— Nate Ryan (@nateryansports) February 21, 2025
Thus, moves like this may fly under-the-radar, but could be integral to their postseason aspirations.
Biyombo was the seventh overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. A native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the 32-year-old has earned a reputation as a physical and athletic defender who lives in the paint, albeit one who’s undersized at 6-foot-8. With that in mind, he’s all but the antithesis of Wembanyama, who’s more of a finesse, perimeter-oriented big man despite being 7-foot-3.
Nevertheless, Biyombo’s skillset is one that Spurs acting head coach Mitch Johnson has long felt his team needed:
“…screening, pressure on the rim with rolling, and rebounding”
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson praised Bismack Biyombo, calling him “excellent” in his start for Wemby and saying he brought exactly what the team has needed all season. He also highlighted the bench players for providing a much-needed boost. 👏🏼🏀 pic.twitter.com/n8sAUTmDxv
— SpursRΞPORTΞR (@SpursReporter) February 21, 2025
Of course, Biyombo’s body of work had essentially already proven that he could help San Antonio in those areas, so it didn’t come as a surprise to Johnson. In addition to that, playing alongside an all-time great point guard in Chris Paul could only help. Still, credit has to be given where it’s due. Their ability to defeat a stacked team like the Suns while missing their top player means that they must have done something right.
This is particularly true when acknowledging that Biyombo was a respectable +3 in his 16 minutes.
Final Audition
After Biyombo’s new contract expires, the Spurs will have to sign him for the remainder of the season if they want to hold onto him. Thus, his next 10 days are going to be even more important than his last 10 days. With Wembanyama now ruled out until at least the start of 2025-26, momentum appears to be on the big man’s side. However, it’s worth noting that San Antonio does have two other healthy centers: Sandro Mamukelashvili and Charles Bassey.
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