San Antonio Spurs Drop Major Victor Wembanyama News Ahead of Mavs Game

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SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – DECEMBER 29: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Frost Bank Center on December 29, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)

Following Monday’s injury scare, San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has oozed headlines. 

Wembanyama, 22, incurred a rib contusion against the Philadelphia 76ers earlier this week. 

Wembanyama was escorted back to the locker room two times in the first half. After the second time, he was subsequently ruled out of the rest of the game. The Spurs big man did not play San Antonio’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. 

With the postseason looming, Wembanyama’s injury is certainly ill-timed. Before going down, he was making a stronger NBA MVP case and closing in on playing 65 games and obtaining eligibility to achieve postseason awards. 

GettySAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 01: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs stands on the court during their game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on April 01, 2026 in San Francisco, California.

The Spurs have just two games remaining, and Wembanyama needs to play at least 20 minutes in just one game to achieve the 65-game threshold. 

A lot has been said about the severity of Wembanyama’s injury and the potential impact it could have on him moving forward, but San Antonio has continued to express confidence that the third-year big man dodged serious injury and will return to the lineup before the season ends.

Victor Wembanyama’s Playing Status Revealed for Friday’s Game

The Spurs are at home to finish the regular season. 

With 61 wins on the year, it has been a magical turnaround for a team that won just 34 games a season ago. Wembanyama’s emergence as an MVP candidate and among the best two-way players in basketball has powered San Antonio’s resurgence. 

Unfortunately, Wembanyama’s late-season setback suppressed his MVP push, but all he and his team are concerned with now is getting him back to full health ahead of a pressure-packed playoff run. 

The good news is San Antonio’s gut-feeling on Wembanyama may have been right after all. While there is no confirmation on his status for tomorrow’s game against the Dallas Mavericks, Wembanyama has officially been listed as questionable. 

This is a very encouraging sign; however, the 22-year-old Spurs big man was listed doubtful and later downgraded to out ahead of Wednesday’s contest. San Antonio hopes Wembanyama doesn’t experience a setback before Friday night. 

Health is Wealth For All Teams at This Juncture

Some would argue keeping Wembanyama sidelined for these final two games is smart. Yes, he would sacrifice postseason awards, but there would be a much lower risk of playing a hobbled Wembanyama for Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs.

Wembanyama has battled several notable injuries in his three years in the NBA. He missed the entire second-half of last season after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis, a type of blood clot. 

Fortunately, Wembanyama was able to make a full recovery and come back looking better than ever. But that was perhaps only made possible because he received plenty of time off to recover. 

Had the Spurs aimed to sideline Wembanyama until the start of the playoffs, he would have gotten over a week of rest entering Game 1 of the first round. However, it seems the organization feels Wembanyama healthy enough to play before then.

Adel Ahmad Adel is a writer with over five years of experience covering the NBA. His work has appeared on various media platforms, both national and local. More about Adel Ahmad

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