French sensation Victor Wembanyama’s second season for the San Antonio Spurs ended in disaster as he was ruled out after suffering from deep vein thrombosis or DVT in February 2025. As a result, the Spurs, seen by many to finally be a playoff-contending team, finished 13th in the West with a 34-48 record.
San Antonio have failed to reach the postseason since the 2018-19 campaign as fans bid farewell to Gregg Popovich to kickstart a new era under Mitch Johnson. And yet, all signs point to positive developments, the fruits of which we expect the Spurs to enjoy from the upcoming campaign.
San Antonio moved quickly in the offseason. They notably re-signed De’Aaron Fox and Bismack Biyombo while adding Rutgers superstar Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant via the No. 2 and 14 picks in the 2025 NBA draft.
Center Luke Kornet was signed in free agency to provide their generational big man some cover, leading to one of the most talented young cores in the NBA. On paper, the Spurs look well on their way to compete for the title in the coming years.
Yet, much will once again depend on Victor Wembanyama and whether he can deliver a healthy season after a seemingly stellar offseason that has included high-intensity training sessions and visits to China and Japan, where he practiced Chan meditation and Shaolin Kung Fu.
Victor Wembanyama will win the DPOY award
Wembanyama returned with a statline of 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3.8 blocks per game last season while shooting at over 55% overall and over 35% from the three-point zone. The stats only confirm what the eye test reveals: he is a generational star with a remarkable two-way ceiling, and the only apparent challenge remains his health.
Wemby showed plenty of progress in his sophomore year before his season was cut short, and fans will be eager to see how quickly he can return to those levels post-rehabilitation. And if progress during the offseason and the Spurs’ recent moves are anything to go by, they are well-positioned to maximize Wemby’s impact and build towards their first postseason in years.
If he can remain available for the majority of the season, the 21-year-old will become the runaway favorite for this award. After all, he finished second in what was his rookie year and was not considered last campaign as he only played 46 regular season games.
Wemby to finish top-3 in MVP voting
“My training this summer, it was brutal..Maybe that takes away from some time I can spend on shooting the basketball, but it doesn’t matter. I wanted to get my body back,” Wembanyama recently said about his offseason.
The Frenchman may only be 21, but he moves both on and off-court like a pro well past that age. Many had questioned whether he will be able to extend the kind of domination he showed during his pro career in France to the NBA, and the first two seasons have blown those concerns away.
He spent part of the summer working with veteran skill trainer Noah Laroche and himself believes his offseason work has been “world-class,” per The Athletic. Wemby does not even have to do much to be considered a serious MVP candidate.
He has already shown the ability to make an impact that simply cannot be recreated by any other superstar, and if he keeps it up for the entire campaign, he is effectively a lock-on, considering the rest of San Antonio’s roster also looks ready to compete with the NBA’s best once again.
The Spurs will have a postseason
The Spurs have made major moves this offseason. De’Aaron Fox leads a backcourt on a roster that has the last two Rookie of the Year winners in Wemby and Stephon Castle. Another potential superstar has joined in Dylan Harper, with San Antonio also boasting a strong supporting cast led by Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Harrison Barnes and Jeremy Sochan.
Carter Bryant’s arrival gives their young core a tantalizing look, with the Spurs truly looking ready to compete both in the now and for years to come. The front office’s decision to add Kornet means they recognize the value in giving Wemby breathing space.
Overall, they have made all the right moves, have a scary pool of talent, and will only get better as they begin to integrate their new stars once the season begins. The Spurs increased their win total to 34 last season from just 22 in 2023-24, and all signs point to a similar uptick for the upcoming campaign as well.
