After what can be said to be a phenomenal run in just his second season with the San Antonio Spurs, Victor Wembanyama is now out for the rest of the season due to a deep vein thrombosis and will no longer be eligible for any individual awards, including the Defensive Player of the Year – in which he was already the clear runaway winner at this point.

Wembanyama looked fine in his debut in the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, and yet the Spurs had to pull him out in their post-ASG run when they were about to play the Phoenix Suns. Wemby’s absence is a huge loss – as San Antonio was already gunning for a shot at a playoff spot, and it marks the second hit for the team after head coach Gregg Popovich has been ruled out for the rest of the season after he had a stroke last year.

This condition was discovered when Wemby made his return to San Antonio after the All-Star Game. The Spurs were quick to announce his status, and it definitely shocked a lot of fans as it also puts the DPOY race now wide open than most people expected at this point.

Wemby Out

Wembanyama has been terrific this season so far, as the Frenchman averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks per game – and he’s been at the top of the DPOY race thanks to his antics, and it cannot be denied that his presence in the MVP race even makes this really a great season for him so far.

With Wembanyama leading the way, the Spurs were just three wins away from being in the Play-In Tournament slots in the Western Conference. This injury does not help them well at all, and being diagnosed with DVT is not an ideal look so far. Athletes who are involved with contact sports are typically advised to avoid using such medication because of the heightened chance of bleeding.

This isn’t new among athletes over the years, and it this is why the Spurs remain confident about his status for recovery considering that he’s still young and really has a lot of potential in the game at this point in time.

The DPOY Odds on Disarray

With Wembanyama now out of the picture for good, one can say that the race for the DPOY has just been disrupted at a high level and has been on a massive disarray now more than ever. Jaren Jackson Jr., who was also a star this season, is now leading the odds at -125, and followed by Evan Mobley at +105.

However, there are talks as to how Luguentz Dort would be now on the rise considering that he is the best defensive player in the best defensive team in the league. Oklahoma City has always had him on every best player, night in and night out. Dort currently stands at +1200 in the odds for the DPOY.

What’s interesting is that Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City’s two stars for this season, have also been around the DPOY odds next to Dort, and it seems that this is quite a promising note for OKC considering how these two stars have been phenomenal two-way players in their own right.

So far, Wembanyama’s injury is affecting a lot of things in the league – and it goes to show how his presence in the NBA is quite special, and fans would be keen to see him get back into action soon.