ESPN Ranks Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs in Top 10 as Key Player Receives Positive Injury Update

The San Antonio Spurs are no longer the NBA’s quiet, sleeping giant. They have carefully rebuilt over several years. Victor Wembanyama arrived as the No. 1 pick in 2023, followed by Stephon Castle at No. 4 in 2024. Dylan Harper at No. 2 and Carter Bryant at No. 14 in 2025 completed the core, giving the Spurs a generational center and depth across positions. And De’Aaron Fox was acquired via trade at the 2025 deadline. This offseason, Fox signed a four-year max deal, Luke Kornet and Kelly Olynyk were added, and Lindy Waters III strengthened the bench. After six playoff-less seasons, the expectation is clear: to win now.

And now, in his third year, Victor Wembanyama’s presence demands that urgency. Add in the arrival of high-upside rookies Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant, a max-level guard in De’Aaron Fox, and a retooled bench San Antonio suddenly finds itself back in the national spotlight. In ESPN’s latest Future Power Rankings, a projection of NBA teams’ expected success over the next three seasons, San Antonio holds firm at No. 10. That’s despite finishing the 2024-25 season with just 34 wins and missing the playoffs. But that’s the point. The ranking is about what’s coming.

“San Antonio hangs on to the 10th spot thanks to a roster that features arguably the game’s most exciting young player in Victor Wembanyama, a pair of back-to-back top-five selections in the backcourt (Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle), and another star acquired via trade in De’Aaron Fox,” wrote ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. The Spurs “Players” category had them at No. 8. Meanwhile, the “Market” category placed them at No. 16. For a mid-market team like San Antonio, staying competitive requires front-office precision, and they’ve nailed the last three drafts.

Wembanyama is already considered a top-five fantasy player and arguably the best defender in the league. He averaged 24.3 PPG, 11.0 RPG, and a league-best 3.8 BPG in just 46 games. Add to that, he didn’t even play the final two months of the season, and he still dominates the blocks column. ESPN called him “arguably the best defensive player in the NBA.” De’Aaron Fox, extended through 2029 with a four-year with $222.3 million, brings elite scoring, averaging 26.6 points and 5.6 assists in his last full Sacramento season (2023-24). His speed and clutch play enhance Wembanyama’s pick-and-roll game, though their 120 minutes together last season.

New head coach Mitch Johnson now faces a stacked Western Conference where the Thunder dominated by 16 games last season. ESPN’s Future Power Ranking keeps the Spurs unchanged at 10th, banking on their talent despite a new coach and young roster. Stephon Castle is averaging 14.7 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.7 rebounds, locked in as the starting backcourt, while ESPN is definitely betting on the talent. And it starts with Wembanyama holding up his end of the bargain.

Spurs optimistic as Dylan Harper gets a major update

The only dark cloud of the offseason was Dylan Harper’s thumb injury. The No. 2 overall pick suffered a partially torn collateral ligament during a workout in August and underwent surgery days later. Initial reports suggested he’d miss all of training camp and likely the preseason. But now, there’s real optimism. On the Locked On Spurs podcast, Dr. Ryan McCorkle offered an encouraging update on Harper’s recovery timeline.

“Once he’s healed, it’ll come off. It’s, uh, you know, this is kind of an ordinary injury, right? Just catching a pass wrong, catching it on the rim wrong. It’s not a muscle group that you’re continually stressing, like a calf or a knee or a low back injury or hamstring injury, where your movement is dependent on it. That’s just a kind of a freak hand injury, and after the surgery it should heal up fine. I don’t believe he’ll have to wear a brace after about six to eight weeks and should be totally back to normal,” McCorkle explained.

“The thumb, it’s very unlikely that you’re going to reinjure that same thing. And so once it’s fixed, it’s kind of fixed and you move on. It’s not like an ACL tear where you’re going to be compensating for it and may tear the other ACL or that kind of thing. But absolutely, it should be a one and done. Should be back to full strength by the beginning of the season or a few weeks after.” That timeline puts Harper on track to potentially suit up on opening night, October 22 in Dallas, against No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg and the Mavericks. 

The Spurs’ depth shines with veterans Luke Kornet, Kelly Olynyk, Lindy Waters III, and Jordan McLaughlin. Kornet’s winning experience and Olynyk’s spacing complement Wembanyama. Harper himself has embraced the situation, acknowledging the value in earning his spot. There will be pressure, of course. Bench players have a smaller margin for error, especially on a team with playoff ambitions. But the Spurs are betting on talent. And Harper, who averaged 19.4 points per game in college and flashed scoring instincts in Summer League, has it.

The Spurs haven’t been this deep or this intriguing in years. Gregg Popovich’s retirement ushers in Johnson’s fresh perspective, backed by Wembanyama’s firepower. And now, with Harper’s recovery progressing smoothly, fewer question marks are heading into the new season.