How long is Victor Wembanyama out? Ankle injury timeline, return date, latest updates on Spurs rookie

Victor Wembanyama is having one of the best rookie seasons in NBA history. But despite his talent, the Spurs are still struggling in the standings.

To make matters worse, the Spurs — who are 13-49 and in 15th place in the Western Conference — will be without their star rookie for the immediate future.

Wembanyama suffered an ankle injury during the Spurs’ road loss to the Houston Rockets on Tuesday. He left the game before halftime but returned in the second half after testing it during the break, per San Antorino reporter Don Harris.

Victor Wembanyama will miss tomorrow’s game in Sacramento with a right ankle sprain. Left the Houston game before half, but came back to start the second half. Was doing lateral drills during halftime, presumably to test it out.

— Don Harris (@DonHarris4) March 7, 2024

Wembanyama has played in 56 of the Spurs 62 games this season, averaging 20.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.3 steals and a league-leading 3.4 blocks in 28.8 minutes per game.

If the Spurs want to win games in the final stretch of the season, they’ll need Wembanyama on the floor. Here’s the latest on his injury.

What is Victor Wembanyama’s injury?

Wembanyama sustained a right ankle sprain during Tuesday’s matchup with the Rockets. He left the game prior to halftime and performed “lateral drills” before returning in the second half.

The 7-4 rookie struggled in the 30 minutes he played Tuesday in San Antonio, finishing with 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting and six turnovers. But he still managed to grab 11 boards and block seven shots.

This isn’t the first time Wembanyama has dealt with right ankle problems this season. In late December, he accidentally stepped on the foot of a Dallas Mavericks ball boy, which forced him to sit that night.

That incident occurred just two games after Wembanyama was sidelined with right ankle soreness. The Spurs moved forward with caution, putting their star rookie on a minutes restriction and not allowing him to play in back-to-backs for a few weeks.

It’s possible the Spurs will take a similar route a few months later, as Wembanyama is dealing with a similar issue.

How long is Victor Wembanyama out?

Andrew Lopez of ESPN reported that Wembanyama will be sidelined for the Spurs’ game against the Kings in Sacramento on Thursday.

Spurs say Victor Wembanyama is OUT for tomorrow’s game against the Sacramento Kings with a right ankle sprain.

— Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) March 6, 2024

Beyond Thursday’s contest, there isn’t a clear timetable of when Wembanyama will return to action. If he follows a similar timeline to December’s ankle injury, he may sit out a few games and return on a minutes restriction.

Here’s what the Spurs’ schedule looks like over the next five games.