Victor Wembanyama gets encouraging update amid tight MVP race

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Spurs' Victor Wembanyama gets encouraging update amid tight NBA MVP race

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Apr 8, 2026 12:56 AM ET

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama suffered a rib injury during a 115-102 home win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night. However, that may not eliminate him from a tight NBA MVP race.

Wembanyama underwent X-rays on Tuesday. Per ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, he's listed as doubtful for San Antonio's home game against the Portland Trail Blazers (40-39) on Wednesday night (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). The Spurs (60-19) expect him to play in at least one of their three remaining regular-season games. Depending on how many, his MVP hopes may remain alive.

Why rib injury may put Victor Wembanyama's MVP hopes at risk

The NBA has strict eligibility rules for end-of-season awards, including league MVP. Players must play in a minimum of 65 games (with at least 20 minutes played) to remain in contention for these accolades. Entering Tuesday night, Wembanyama had played in 63 games, so he's already close to the cutoff.

Players can appeal the 65-game minimum under special circumstances. Say he has played in 62 games but suffered a season-ending injury, then he can still win MVP. Stars can also claim it was impractical for them to play in games they missed, but that's hard to prove.

Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is listed doubtful to play in Wednesday's game against Portland due to a rib contusion but there's confidence he will play at least one of the team's final three regular-season games.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 7, 2026

Where does Victor Wembanyama stand in MVP race?

As of Tuesday night, FanDuel Sportsbook gives Wembanyama the second-best MVP odds (+3300) behind Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (-7000). Through his first 66 games, the one-time champion ranked second in the league in scoring (31.4 points per game) and had helped the Thunder start 62-16.

Wembanyama, however, has been just as impactful for the Spurs as Gilgeous-Alexander has for the Thunder. Entering Tuesday, he ranked 13th in the league in scoring (24.8 PPG), fourth in rebounding (11.5 rebounds per game) and first in blocks (3.1 blocks per game).

After the Spurs host the Trail Blazers, they play the Dallas Mavericks on Friday and the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. Both contests are at home.

If Wembanyama can play in both of those games and have big performances against Mavericks rookie forward Cooper Flagg and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, that may be his best chance to sway any MVP voters who remain on the fence.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

More must-reads: