Spurs star Victor Wembanyama will not make his return for the NBA Cup vs. the Lakers. / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
Victor Wembanyama hasn’t played in a game since Nov. 14 as [he deals with a left calf strain](https://www.si.com/nba/victor-wembanyama-expected-to-miss-several-weeks-calf-injury). There was a possibility he could return on Wednesday for the Spurs’ NBA Cup quarterfinal game vs. the Lakers, but San Antonio deemed Wembanyama out for the contest.
It’s unclear when Wembanyama will be healthy enough to return to the court as it’s been nearly a month since he’s played.
Wembanyama needs to return soon if he hopes to be eligible for any NBA awards at the end of the season. NBA players can only miss 17 games before becoming ineligible for the awards, and Wembanyama will miss his 12th game with Wednesday’s absence.
With Wembanyama out, the Spurs have won eight of 11 contests, including two NBA Cup games to help advance them to Wednesday’s quarterfinals. If San Antonio beats Los Angeles on Wednesday, then they’ll advance to the semifinals on Saturday against either the Suns or the Thunder. The NBA Cup final will be played next Tuesday.
Wembanyama leads the Spurs in average points (26.2), rebounds (12.9) and blocks (3.6) per game this season.
> FREE NEWSLETTER. SI BTN Newsletter. Start off your day with SI:CYMI. dark