Since he was ruled out for the rest of last season, San Antonio Spurs fans have been clamoring for news regarding superstar Victor Wembanyama. Luckily, there is good news on that front, ahead of training camp and preseason, which starts early next month.
NBA insider Marc Stein reports that Wembanyama recently began playing pickup ball in Los Angeles and looked fantastic. While that normally wouldn't seem newsworthy, he hasn't played in an actual NBA game since February.
Looks like Wemby listened to KG. https://t.co/YFNi2XuKy2 pic.twitter.com/vKsiK8NNj5
— Josh Paredes (@Josh810) September 1, 2025
That means by the time that next season starts, he will have been out of action for more than 7 months. That has led to some questions about whether he would be ready to hit the ground running to start next season, but this latest report should assuage Spurs fans.
A healthy Victor Wembanyama is a game changer for the Spurs
Even despite struggling near the end of his 2024-25 season with the side effects of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), he still managed a stellar 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, and 3.6 blocks per game.
A fully healthy Wembanyama could be even better next season with him fully recovered, with him no longer held back by the conditioning issues that were caused by DVT. Towards the end of last season, he was noticeably gassed during games, a symptom of that condition.
Fortunately, the Spurs should be able to rest him more and have him play shorter stretches with the addition of backup center Luke Kornet. Kornet gives the Spurs a reliable backup center, which they desperately needed after trying out several big men last season.
Wembanyama is the centerpiece for a sleeping giant Spurs team
Add in them having star De'Aaron Fox for a full season and bringing back Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle and second overall Dylan Harper, and San Antonio isn't lacking in the talent department. All they need is for Wembanyama to level up.
Usually, for young prospects, the third season is crucial to their development, with them often taking big leaps forward. In Wembanyama's case, that could mean him going from being a top 15 player in the NBA to being a top five player. That is a massive difference, and were that to happen, it would propel the Spurs into title contention.
Ultimately, Spurs fans got great news with the report that Wembanyama is back playing basketball and already looking like a stud. If he can level up next season and Fox can play at the same level he has over the last few years, the Spurs could be a sleeper team in the West.