The San Antonio Spurs suffered a major blow to their playoff chances Thursday when ESPN insider Shams Charania reported that center Victor Wembanyama will miss the rest of the season with deep vein thrombosis — a serious blood clot — in his right shoulder.
Deep vein thrombosis occurs when a blood clot develops in veins deep within the body because of injuries to the vein or sluggish blood flow, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The clots have the potential to partially or completely block blood flow through the vein.
While DVT is not life-threatening on its own, the clots could do major damage if they were to break free and travel through the bloodstream. A pulmonary embolism happens when the clots become lodged within the blood vessels of the lung and due to its threatening nature, DVT requires immediate treatment.
Wembanyama is averaging 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.8 blocks and 3.7 assists in his sophomore season after being drafted No. 1 overall by San Antonio in the 2023 NBA draft. His numbers were good enough to earn him his first All-Star nod, with Texas alumnus Kevin Durant heaping plenty of praise upon the Frenchman.
“He’s on the right path to being one of the greatest we’ve ever seen,” Durant said during NBA All-Star Weekend.
The last time the Spurs and Wembanyama were in Austin, the Moody Center drew a combined 32,280 fans to both games despite finishing with a 22-60 record. The Spurs have already surpassed their win total from last year but their 23-29 record is only good for 12th in the Western Conference.
The Spurs have attempted to inject talent into their roster by trading for Kings guard De’Aaron Fox in early February. The former All-Star guard is averaging 21.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 7.8 assists in five games with San Antonio. Now, the team will have to choose between a playoff push or maximizing their chances for another NBA draft lottery pick.