What Victor Wembanyama's Injury Means for Spurs' Future

All-Star second-year San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama is done for the 2024-25 NBA season after suffering an ominous injury. What does it mean for San Antonio long term?

Read More: Spurs All-Star Victor Wembanyama Shockingly Done for Season with Scary Injury

Marc Stein of The Stein Line first unveiled a press release from the Spurs detailing that the 7-foot-3 pro, just 21, has incurred deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder.

"The San Antonio Spurs today announced that Victor Wembanyama has been diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder," the Spurs wrote. "The condition was discovered when Wembanyama returned to San Antonio following the All-Star Game in San Francisco. Wembanyama is expected to miss the remainder of the 2024-25 regular season. The team will provide updates as appropriate."

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It's shocking news that ends the Spurs' immediate postseason hopes. At 23-29, the Spurs are the No. 12 seed in the Western Conference, just five games shy of the No. 9-seeded Sacramento Kings and the No. 10-seeded Golden State Warriors, who both sport 28-27 records.

Only the top 10 seeds qualify for the postseason, with the Nos. 7-10 seeds competing in the play-in tournament for the final two playoff spots in each conference.

Sans its best player, San Antonio seems destined for the NBA lottery. This is especially disappointing considering that the Spurs had just swung a massive mid-season trade to acquire All-Star ex-Sacramento Kings point guard De'Aaron Fox, who's in his absolute prime at age 27.

"This is a medical condition that has ended careers ... but there are cases in recent NBA history of players having an isolated incident just like this who came back just fine," Quinn observed.

Wembanyama had been considered the heir apparent to the Spurs' previous Hall of Fame championship core: former MVP center David Robinson, former MVP power forward Tim Duncan, former All-NBA guards Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, and former Finals MVP small forward Kawhi Leonard (now with the L.A. Clippers).

Selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Wembanyama was the Rookie of the Year during his debut pro season, earned a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics in his native France last summer, and has already made an All-Star squad and an All-Defensive First Team. He was well on his way to becoming the Spurs' next superstar, and returning the proud franchise back to playoff contention.

Wembanyama isn't just seen as the future of the Spurs.

He's widely considered to be the future of the league, a versatile scorer and elite rim protector capable of winning multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards and perhaps multiple championships as San Antonio's best player.

If this blood clotting issue persists and Wembanyama is deemed medically unfit to continue his career, it will effectively end the Spurs' short-term chances of winning their first NBA championship without Duncan.

This year, Wembanyama had been averaging 24.3 points while slashing .476/.352/.836, 11.0 rebounds, 3.8 blocks, and 3.7 assists a night in his 46 healthy games. He'll be missed during the season's stretch run.

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