The San Antonio Spurs have not had the best of weeks. First, they lost their superstar and 2023 No. 1 overall pick, Victor Wembanyama for the season due to blood clots in his right shoulder.

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich met with the team Thursday for the first time since his stroke and informed the players he is not returning this season, NBA insider Chris Haynes reported.

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich announces he will not return to the sidelines this season after he suffered a mild stroke in November.

When the San Antonio Spurs traded for De’Aaron Fox, the reality that he’d be paired with Victor Wembanyama was cause for excitement. But because of this NBA season’s most devastating injury, there’s a new reality for not only the Spurs but Fox as well.

At 23-29, the Spurs occupy just the No. 12 seed in a crowded Western Conference. They are a scant 3.5 games behind the No. 10-seeded Golden State Warriors (28-27), but without their best player, they seem doomed now to miss the play-in tournament entirely and head straight for the lottery.

Perhaps Victor Wembanyama is due for a pleasant surprise. After his sophomore campaign — on pace to be much stronger than his rookie season — was cut short with a deep vein thrombosis diagnosis in his right shoulder, the San Antonio Spurs' lacking center depth was even more exposed than previously known.