Spurs Processing Tough News Of Losing Victor Wembanyama For Season

Prior to the All-Star break, the Spurs were likely thinking about making a push for the NBA playoffs — or at least the play-in tournament. But one moment can change everything.

For San Antonio, that moment came Thursday, when it was revealed standout second-year center Victor Wembanyama will miss the rest of the season with a blood clot. Now, the rest of the organization is left to deal with his absence the best it can.

“In talking with people in San Antonio today, they described how difficult this season has been in terms of all these traumatic events — Gregg Popovich suffering stroke and now Victor Wembanyama with the blood clot,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said. “And not that it’s the same because it’s not medical, but the midseason trade for De’Aaron Fox, which is not something the Spurs normally do, is make in-season trades.”

The Spurs (23-29) entered Thursday in 12th place in the Western Conference. So even with Wembanyama, the play-in may have been a stretch. But they’re within striking distance. Now? Well, it’s hard to say.

“They’ve had a lot of things that have upset things this year,” Windhorst said. “They’re sort of processing it as a team. It’s been a very rough season and it’s probably going to have lasting effects the rest of the way for them.”

Wembanyama appeared in 46 games for the Spurs this season. He averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 3.8 blocks while shooting 47.6% from the field, 35.2% from beyond the arc and 83.6% from the free-throw line. 

The Spurs drafted Wembanyama with the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Wembanyama won the 2023-24 Rookie of the Year Award after averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 3.6 blocks. 

“If blood moves too slowly through your veins, it can cause a clump of blood cells called a clot,” according to WebMD. “When a blood clot forms in a vein deep inside your body, it causes what doctors call deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This is most likely to happen in your lower leg, thigh, or pelvis. But it can occur in other parts of your body, too. DVT can lead to major health problems. In some cases, it can be fatal. That’s why if you think you have one, you must see a doctor right away.

“Blood thinners are the most common medications used to treat DVT. They cut your blood’s ability to clot. You may need to take them for 6 months. If your symptoms are severe or your clot is very large, your doctor may give you a strong medicine to dissolve it. These medications, called thrombolytics, have serious side effects like sudden bleeding. That’s why they’re not prescribed very often.”

(Hoops Wire NBA writer Ashish Mathur contributed to this report.)