NBA front offices have made their lean clear: if they’re choosing between Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic, the edge goes to the San Antonio Spurs star.
The long-running debate over the league’s best player still has plenty of voices, with names like Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic also in the mix. But when general managers are asked to separate the true top tier from the rest, the conversation keeps landing on two names - and the NBA GM Survey showed where the league’s decision-makers stand.
Wembanyama has become the front offices’ favorite. In the 2025-26 NBA Preseason, Jokic drew 67% of the votes and was the clear leader, even after missing out on NBA MVP to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander following a huge season.
But now the balance has shifted. Jokic still sits second, yet the 67% gap between him and Wembanyama tells the story: the Spurs star has surged ahead in the eyes of NBA GMs.
That preference showed up in more than just the MVP discussion. Wembanyama was also named the player who “made coaches adjust the most,” in a race that was tighter and had more contenders. Even there, the final vote tilted his way.
It’s not difficult to understand the appeal. At 7'4", Wembanyama presents problems few teams can solve.
He stretches defenses vertically and laterally, and his movement makes him look like a guard on both ends of the floor. Opponents have to drag him out of the paint on defense and then build a wall when he’s attacking on offense.
Jokic’s passing remains ridiculous, and crowding the lane against him is no easy task, but the defensive impact simply doesn’t match what Wembanyama brings.
Age matters too. Wembanyama gives front offices the kind of runway they covet when they’re asked who they’d build a franchise around. Players nearing 30 tend to see their production dip, and fatigue plus injury management become part of the equation.
That’s why the answer from NBA GMs is so decisive. In their view, Wembanyama is the safer bet, the bigger weapon, and the player with the best chance to dominate for years. The Spurs star can wreck a game as a defensive force or pile up points whenever the night calls for it, and the sense around league front offices is that he still has plenty of room to grow.
By the end of the 2026-27 NBA season, the idea that Wembanyama could be stacking major hardware - MVP, DPOY, Finals MVP, WCF MVP, and the Larry O’Brien trophy - is not being treated as outlandish.
In Other News...
Spurs Camp Cuts Put New Focus On A Roster Battle To Watch
The Spurs trimmed their camp roster ahead of the 2026/27 season by waiving Taelon Peter, Malik Williams and Terry Taylor, part of the usual late-preseason sorting that comes with training camp competition. It is the kind of move that rarely grabs headlines on its own, but it does sharpen the focus on who is still standing as the Spurs continue to shape the back end of the roster.
Around the league, several other teams were making similar decisions, with the Hawks signing Giorgi Bezhanishvili to an Exhibit 10 deal, the Jazz adding Chance Moore and the Cavaliers waiving Jaxson Robinson. Cole Swider, DeAndre Williams and Steven Crowl were also let go by the Lakers, Clippers and Nuggets, respectively, underscoring how active this stretch can be as teams settle on their final looks before the season begins. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs May Be Seeing An Early Answer Behind Victor Wembanyama
The Spurs have spent the preseason looking for the kind of sturdy interior presence that can take some of the burden off Victor Wembanyama, and rookie center Tarris Reed Jr. has given them a promising early look. Reed has stood out for his work on the glass and around the rim, including a 17-rebound game against Utah and another strong showing against Phoenix, where he finished with three blocks and nine rebounds.
For a young big trying to earn trust in a crowded rotation, that sort of consistency matters as much as the headline numbers. Reed said he plans to keep bringing effort and persistence, and San Antonio will be watching to see whether that carries into a steady role as the season gets closer. The Spurs could use a reliable backup behind Wembanyama, and Reed has at least made that conversation worth having. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Already Have One Big Concern With This Wembanyama Experiment
The Spurs spent a preseason look against Phoenixs backups trying something ambitious, dropping DeAaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama into a guard-heavy lineup that was always going to be watched closely. It was the first time that group had played together, according to coach Mitch Johnson, and even in a small sample it hinted at both sides of the equation San Antonio is trying to balance: enough ballhandling and perimeter talent to pressure defenses, plus the kind of size and activity Wembanyama brings to everything around him.
What showed up quickly, though, was the downside. The group flashed defensive promise, but the spacing and shooting issues were apparent early, leaving the Spurs with a familiar preseason question as they keep sorting through rotations before the games start to count. The idea is intriguing enough to keep revisiting, but the early returns suggest there is still plenty to iron out before this kind of look can be counted on in regular-season minutes. [Read more 🡒]