San Antonio Spurs C Victor Wembanyama has been out of the lineup since mid-November after suffering a calf strain. Although the star center is back at practice, Wembanyama will miss Monday’s game vs. the New Orleans Pelicans.
Monday’s contest will mark the 11th consecutive game in which Wembanyama has been out for the for the Spurs — the Spurs have gone an impressive 7-3 in the games since then, despite missing their All-Star center.
Let’s take a closer look at Wembanyama’s injury update tonight and check out some key stats and PrizePicks picks for the rest of the Spurs’ players, including De’Aaron Fox.
Victor Wembanyama Injury Update vs. Pelicans Tonight
The Spurs have officially listed Wembanyama as out for Monday’s game due to a calf strain. While it’s unfortunate that Wembanyama won’t be on the court for Monday’s contest, he did log a full practice on Sunday with the team.
Wembanyama originally suffered the injury on Nov. 14 against the Golden State Warriors and reports suggested the recovery to be a period of two-to-three weeks. The good news is that Wembanyama practiced in full on Sunday, so a return may be imminent.
The former No. 1 draft pick traveled with the Spurs on their road trip to New Orleans after previously not traveling with the team to begin their current four-game road trip, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
Prior to the calf strain last month, Wembanyama was in the midst of a sensational campaign. The Spurs star has put together averages of 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists per game — all of which are career highs, and adding 3.6 blocks per game.
The Spurs star big man was limited to just 46 games during the 2024-25 season due deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. Wembanyama was diagnosed with the condition in February 2025 and was shut down for the remainder of the season.
In addition to Wembanyama, reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle also logged a full practice on Sunday with the team. Castle suffered a left hip flexor strain last month and has missed the last nine games as a result.
According to ESPN’s Michael C. Wright, Castle stated that he plans to play against the Pelicans after participating in the team’s shootaround on Monday. With Castle set to return to the lineup, the Spurs would receive one of their top scorers back into the starting lineup as Castle is averaging 17.3 ppg on the season.
Target De'Aaron Fox With Victor Wembanyama Out?
With Wembanyama sidelined tonight, there are a few Spurs that could see increased production due to his absence.
Spurs C Luke Kornet is likely to serve as the team’s starting center, assuming he is healthy. Kornet is officially listed as questionable due to an ankle injury, but is participating in team shootaround, so all signs are pointing towards him playing.
Since Wembanyama went down on Nov. 14, Kornet has logged 26.7 minutes per contest and has played at least 28 minutes in six of those games. During that span, the veteran big man is averaging 6.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest. Kornet will be matched up with rookie C Derik Queen on Tuesday and is projected for 8 points and 7.5 rebounds (15.5 Pts+Rebs) vs. the Pelicans on PrizePicks NBA.
With Wembanyama sidelined, Spurs G De’Aaron Fox has thrived in leading the way offensively for the team. In 10 games without Wembanyama, Fox is averaging 26.8 points, while shooting 39.4 from three.
The matchup could be extremely beneficial for Fox as the Pelicans allow the second-highest shooting percentage (49.8%) in the entire NBA. In addition, New Orleans also ranks 28th in defensive rating and opponents points per contest.
Most recently, Fox scored 25 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers on 9-of-19 shooting in Friday’s 130-117 loss.
De’Aaron Fox Projections vs. Pelicans
Here are the most popular De'Aaron Fox player picks vs. Pelicans tonight, via PrizePicks.
- 24.5 Points
- 5.5 Assists (Goblin)
- 30.5 Pts+Asts
- 1.5 3 PTM
- 34.5 PRA
Make Monday NBA Picks on PrizePicks
The Spurs will again be without Victor Wembanyama tonight due to his lingering calf injury as they take on the Pelicans, though the big man is getting closer to returning after practicing on Sunday.
Even without Wembanyama, there are plenty of Spurs player picks to consider on PrizePicks to win real money if you're right, including De’Aaron Fox and Luke Kornet. Just pick at least two player stat projections — including from the Spurs vs. Pelicans, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in if you're right.
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