Wembanyama out for season with shoulder thrombosis
San Antonio Spurs All-Star Victor Wembanyama is expected to miss the rest of the season after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, the team announced Thursday.
The condition was discovered when Wembanyama arrived back in San Antonio after All-Star Weekend in San Francisco, the team said. The Spurs were concerned because the 21-year-old had been experiencing low energy recently, a source told The Athletic's Sam Amick.
Wembanyama, the favorite for Defensive Player of the Year, averaged 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 46 games this season. He's led the league in blocks in back-to-back years, recording 3.6 and 3.8 per game, respectively.
The Spurs believe the blood clot is an "isolated condition," reports ESPN's Shams Charania. They are optimistic that Wembanyama will recover fully in time for next season, a team source told ESPN's Tim MacMahon.
Spurs officials delivered the news to players in a meeting before shootaround, veteran Chris Paul told Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News.
"It was tough more than anything, I think, for all of us, knowing how much he means to the game and how much he loves to play," Paul said.
The Frenchman won Rookie of the Year last campaign, averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists.
San Antonio is already without head coach Gregg Popovich, who suffered a mild stroke in November. The 76-year-old has been recovering away from the team.
The Spurs are 12th in the Western Conference with a 23-29 record. They take on the Phoenix Suns later Thursday.