ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania made the bombshell announcement Thursday stating that San Antonio Spurs superstar center Victor Wembanyama would miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season because of deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.
San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama Is No Longer Eligible For NBA Defensive Player Of The Year
Last season, Wembanyama earned his first All-Star selection, was named the unanimous Rookie of the Year, and finished as a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year. He was the favorite to take home the defensive award this season, leading the league with 3.8 blocks per game.
Before the shocking news Thursday, Wembanyama was on pace to become the youngest player in NBA history to win Defensive Player of the Year. However, his injury means he won’t reach the 65-game minimum to qualify for postseason awards, opening the door for other top candidates in the race.
No more Wemby for the season! 💔
However, that means DPOY is UP FOR GRABS!🧐pic.twitter.com/kmO4Ff8Lod
— BetOnline (@BetOnline_ag) February 20, 2025
Jaren Jackson Jr., the two-time NBA blocks champion for the seventh-ranked Grizzlies defense, has a chance to claim his second DPOY trophy.
Another noteworthy candidate is Evan Mobley, who leads the eighth-ranked Cavaliers defense. Mobley is not as young as Wembanyama, but he would still tie for the youngest DPOY winner ever.
Either Jackson Or Mobley Would Receive A Raise
More importantly, there are significant financial incentives if either Jackson or Mobley wins DPOY. Jackson would become eligible to sign a five-year, $345 million supermax, while the rookie extension Mobley signed last offseason would increase from $224 million to $269 million.
If the Cavaliers win the NBA championship with Mobley this season, perhaps that would be money well spent. The 6-foot-11 forward is averaging a career-high 18.5 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game.
After this season, Wembanyama has two years and $26.1 million remaining on the rookie-scale contract he signed with the Spurs after being selected No. 1 overall in the 2023 draft. Sources informed ESPN on Thursday that his $16.9 million team option for 2026-27 is expected to get exercised before Oct. 31.
Starting in the 2026 offseason, Wembanyama will be eligible to sign a five-year, $271 million rookie extension, the first year of which would start in 2027-28. If Wembanyama wins MVP, DPOY, or is named to one of the three All-NBA teams in 2026-27, the extension would increase to $326 million.
