Wembanyama Out Against Clippers, Will He Be Eligible For MVP?

The Spurs say that their superstar big man won't suit up in Los Angeles, as he remains on the cusp of the 65-game minimum for awards like MVP, DPOY and All-NBA.

Apr 1, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) stands on the court during a break in the action against the Golden State Warriors in the third quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The Spurs say that Victor Wembanyama is out for Thursday night's game against the Clippers in Los Angeles, citing right ankle injury management.

Wembanyama has been on a tear lately as he makes a push for the MVP award and the Spurs try to chase down the Thunder for the league's best record and the top seed in the Western Conference. He scored a season-high 41 points in the last two games, most recently at Golden State on Wednesday night.

Spurs say Wemby is OUT tonight against the Clippers due to right ankle injury management pic.twitter.com/Ee1AhXWNtL

— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) April 2, 2026

The decision to sit Wembanyama is likely one made out of an abundance of caution on the second night of a back-to-back with travel involved just a few games before the playoffs begin. Asked about how his body felt after San Antonio's last home game, Wemby was enthusiastic.

"There's ups and downs in the season, but right now, it's been great," he said. "We've had this two days of rest between Memphis and Milwaukee that allowed for good nights of sleep, and we had the early game in Milwaukee too. And now we're going to be at home for good amounts of games. So it's combination of things, but feels like timing is perfect right now, like I'm actually my shape is increasing right now."

Wembanyama has been open about his pursuit of Oklahoma City and the MVP award, vowing to keep his foot on the pedal as he works to win as many things as possible as early and often as he can. Wemby can only miss two more of San Antonio's five remaining regular-season games after tonight and remain eligible for MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and All-NBA honors.

"In my opinion, Victor has the longest list of things he wants to do that are important probably in the history of basketball. And they all are important to me as well," Mitch Johnson said in March. "There's a lot that goes into that and, at times, we have to make tough decisions because on that long list there are still things we prioritize and put on top of the list. But that guy, I think, is going to challenge us as long as we're all here to continue to match that desire to keep checking those things off that list."

Barring an unforseen setback, Wembanyama should be able to meet the 65-game minimum and enter his first playoff run with good momentum toward the ultimate goal of winning the title. San Antonio will wrap up their final road trip of the year in Denver before a four-game homestand to finish the regular season.

San Antonio is just two games back of the Thunder, who will face off against the Lakers tonight and one more time before the season ends. If the Spurs manage to match their record, they'll snatch the top seed away from the defending champions.