Victor Wembanyama was the most hyped basketball prospect since LeBron James, and like James, Wembanyama flung the hype to the ground, exposed the S on his chest and immediately set his feet on the hallowed grounds of the NBA Pantheon. 

Wembanyama started 71 games in his 2023-24 rookie season and averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals, 3.6 blocks and 1.8 treys, finishing seventh in per-game value for fantasy. In 46 games this season, Wembanyama averaged 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals, 3.8 blocks and 3.1 treys, good for third in per-game value.

But we got word on Thursday that someone forgot to turn injuries off and didn’t save the file, so now Wembanyama is lost for the season due to a blood clot in his shoulder. 

San Antonio Spurs All-Star Victor Wembanyama is expected to miss reminder of the season with a deep vein thrombosis in right shoulder.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 20, 2025

via GIPHY

So, what are the implications?

Spurs starting lineup

Charles Bassey is likely to slot into the starting lineup for Wembanyama … when healthy. Bassey is 6-foot-10, 235 pounds and received a start seven games ago, contributing 9 points, 15 rebounds, an assist and a block in 27 minutes. Unfortunately, he sprained the MCL in his left knee, and no timetable has been given for his return.

Jeremy Sochan has played some small-ball center this season and could get the starts until Bassey can go. Sochan is 6-foot-8, 230 pounds and has played 8% of his playing time at center this season. Sochan is a versatile defender and possesses a 7-foot wingspan.

Playing small makes the most sense because the Spurs have been playing at the third-fastest pace since acquiring De’Aaron Fox. While Sochan isn’t the most adept floor-spacer, he is converting 34% of his 1.4 attempts from beyond the arc, is a good passer and can attack closeouts. He should be particularly deadly on the perimeter against more lead-footed big men.

We cannot forget about Sandro Mamukelashvili, who is 6-foot-11, 240 pounds and converting 43% of his 1.7 attempts from downtown. He’s a career 35% shooter from beyond the arc. Mamu has received 15 career starts, 12 with the Spurs, averaging 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.8 treys. If he gets run, Mamu is definitely fantasy-viable — he averages 1.14 fantasy points per minute, the same as Fox. 

Many are clamoring for Stephon Castle to replace Chris Paul in the starting lineup, and it makes sense, especially if the Spurs want to play fast because Castle is such a beast in transition. But Castle has been so good off the bench that I don’t see a move being made at this time.

To tank or not to tank? That is the question

All the above starting lineup talk could be thrown out the window if the Spurs make an organizational pivot. Earlier in the season, the front office accelerated the team’s competitive timeline with the acquisition of Fox. With Wembanyama done for the season, there’s a legitimate case to end the season in the lottery, especially since San Antonio is currently 12th in the Western Conference at 23-29, 3.5 games back of the 10th-seeded Golden State Warriors.

If so, Fox and Paul would likely not see a full complement of minutes down the stretch, while the Spurs could boast one of the silliest rosters of the “Silly Season.” 

Fantasy impacts

Let’s work under the assumption that things remain status quo. 

With Wembanyama off the court this season, Paul has seen the biggest usage bump of 6.31% in 205 minutes. Mamukelashvili is second at 4.63%, but in only 52 minutes. Harrison Barnes saw a 3.15% bump in 274 minutes. Fox has only played five games without Wembanyama, so he would likely see one of the larger usage rate bumps going forward.

That’s on the offensive end for San Antonio. Wembanyama probably had a bigger impact on the defensive end. Per PBPstats.com, the Spurs’ defensive rating with Wembanyama was 114.23. Without Wembanyama, it was 119.41.

So, the Spurs are likely to be among the leaders in offensive pace, but they will also probably be one of the worst defensive teams in the league. For perspective, the New Orleans Pelicans and Washington Wizards are tied for the worst defensive rating at 118.7.

San Antonio could be fantasy nirvana for opposing teams down the stretch, especially if they start employing “Silly Season” lineups.

The replacements: Centers to target on the wire

There is no replacing what Wembanyama provided for fantasy, but this is no time to curl up on the couch and let tears drip to the floor. Here are some players (less than 50% rostered in Yahoo leagues) who provide more than just carbon dioxide and prevent 0s from your center slot:

Santi Aldama, MEM (45% rostered) — Aldama doesn’t provide the traditional big man stats and only plays around 24 minutes per game, but he garners a decent usage rate of 18% on the season and hucks up shots, averaging 10.1 field goal attempts, 12.8 points and 1.8 treys. He’s also chipping in 6.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists. 

Alexandre Sarr, WAS (46% rostered) — Sarr has been brutal in the efficiency categories, converting 39% from the field and 64% from the line. In addition, he’s only pulling down 6.6 rebounds per game, but he’s averaging 1.6 blocks and garnering a 21.7% usage rate. He played 32 minutes in the last game before the All-Star break and should continue seeing over 30 minutes down the stretch. He’s still only 19 years old, and there’s a good chance he will show improvement and remind us why he was the second overall pick in the draft.

Donovan Clingan, POR (40% rostered) — I’m flabbergasted that Clingan is still sub-50% rostered. I guess many have moved on to baseball season. Deandre Ayton is out for at least a month, so Clingan should get all the run he can handle. In the final game before the All-Star break, Clingan received 31 minutes and contributed 17 points, 20 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 blocks.