What's next for Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs?
The reigning unanimous Rookie of the Year will enter his second season with a new point guard in future Hall of Famer Chris Paul and new expectations as the franchise looks to build its roster into a contender around its generational star.
And ESPN experts are predicting big things for the 7' 4″ San Antonio phenom.
How many league titles and MVPs will Wembanyama earn during his career? Will he follow in the footsteps of legendary Spurs centers Tim Duncan and David Robinson and spend his entire career in San Antonio? How many Olympic medals will Wembanyama help France win?
Our panel of ESPN writers, reporters, editors and analysts projects what's in store for the next NBA superstar.
Victor Wembanyama will be the best NBA player in the _____ season.
The race for the next face of the league is far from over, with young stars like Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic among the group vying for the title.
It's time to add Wembanyama to the list.
While our panel doesn't expect Wemby to take over the throne next season, the Spurs center is on track to become the best player in the NBA, and will do so as early as the 2025-26 season. However, our panel was unanimous in predicting that the Spurs phenom will, at some point in the near future, dominate the league.
2025-26: 15.8%
2026-27: 42.1%
2027-28: 31.6%
2028-29: 10.5%
How many NBA titles will Wemby win?
1:41
Wemby's rookie season highlights have NBA on edge
Check out some of the best plays from Victor Wembanyama's rookie season with the Spurs.
Despite adding Wembanyama to the roster, the Spurs finished the 2023-24 campaign in 14th place in the West. and with the same 22-60 record they had last season. Although the Spurs are a long way from title contention, they are still trying to build a stronger team around their budding superstar.
But winning an NBA title is no easy feat, and only 12 players have won six or more rings, with Bill Russell (11) holding the record. For now, our prediction predicts with a margin of error that Wembanyama will win two rings, joining the likes of Bill Walton, Kevin Durant, Wilt Chamberlain and Kawhi Leonard.
A title: 26.3%
Two: 36.8%
Three: 31.6%
Four: 5.3%
How many MVPs will Wemby win?
9:23
SC Feature presents: 'The Future' – Victor Wembanyama
Take a look at Victor Wembanyama's journey to becoming a global phenomenon who became the first Frenchman to be selected at number 1 overall in the draft.
With expectations mounting around the league last season, Wembanyama responded by winning Rookie of the Year, becoming only the sixth player in NBA history to do so unanimously. He was also a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year and the first rookie to make the NBA All-Defensive First Team.
But the praise won't end there as Wembanyama has his sights set on the MVP award, something he believes is a good barometer of the team's success.
Only nine players in NBA history have earned three or more MVPs, and most of our panel has Wembanyama eventually sitting among an elite group that includes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six MVPs), Michael Jordan (five), Bill Russell (five), LeBron James (four), Wilt Chamberlain (four), Larry Bird (three), Nikola Jokic (three), Magic Johnson (three) and Moses Malone (three).
An MVP: 10.5%
Two: 15.8%
Three: 63.2%
Four: 5.3%
Five or more: 5.3%
The Spurs will finish _____ in the Western Conference in 2024-25.
After finishing with a 22-60 record in Wembanyama's rookie year, the Spurs have their sights set on a playoff berth in the crowded Western Conference postseason. With the amount of talent in the West, as well as a roster that lacks much postseason experience, a top-six berth could be out of the question for the Spurs next season, according to our panel.
But don't worry, San Antonio, a play-in spot was the big winner with almost 80%.
In the play-in tournament (7-10): 78.9%
Out of the postseason (11-15): 21.1%
How many playoff series will Wemby and CP3 win in San Antonio (2024-25 and beyond)?
0:54
Chris Paul is attracted by the 'opportunity to play' with the Spurs
Chris Paul discusses his decision to join the Spurs, citing playing time and the opportunity to play for head coach Gregg Popovich as motivations for signing in San Antonio.
In a move aimed at helping Wemby grow as a player, the Spurs signed 19-year-old veteran and 12-time All-Star Chris Paul this offseason. The 39-year-old guard joins a young San Antonio roster, so it's unclear how many seasons he'll play alongside Wemby.
Because of those factors, the obvious choice was that the duo couldn't win a playoff series together. Those voting for three series wins are betting on San Antonio making a surprising run to the 2025 Finals or Paul playing multiple seasons with the franchise.
Zero wins in the series: 68.4%
One: 21.1%
Three: 10.5%
Will Wemby spend his entire career in San Antonio?
Several of the Spurs’ most successful players spent their entire careers in San Antonio and had plenty of trophies to show for it. Hall of Famers David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili were lifelong Spurs, while others like Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker, who spent his final season with the Charlotte Hornets, left after achieving success under coach Gregg Popovich. Wemby is in the unique position of carrying on the legacy of San Antonio’s big men, but several factors are at play in projecting his future in Texas. How long will Popovich remain as coach? And how will the franchise surround the future All-Star? Our panel was nearly split on Wemby’s long-term future with the franchise.
Yeah: 52.6%
No: 47.4%
How many Olympic medals will Wemby and France win during his basketball career?
France has a history steeped in Olympic glory, although the gold medal has eluded the 2024 host nation. With three silver medals (1948, 2000, 2020), the Blues have come close, even at recent Olympics, but with Wembanyama leading a pack of young stars, France will be threatening gold for the foreseeable future. With that in mind, our prediction is that Wembanyama and France will both win medals three times over the course of their careers. Surprisingly, “two” and “zero” tied for second place in the poll, while 5.3% of our panel said Wembanyama would lead France to at least four medals.
Zero medals: 21.1%
One: 15.8%
Two: 21.1%
Three: 36.8%
Four or more: 5.3%
