The Spurs have a shot to do something they haven’t pulled off in 10 years, and Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle are at the center of it.
Wembanyama already checked off the kind of season most players only dream about. In a 22-year-old campaign for the ages, he became the league’s first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year and also earned a spot on the All-NBA First Team. He was the lone Spur to land there, but that could change in 2027, when Castle is expected to join him with an All-NBA selection of his own.
If that happens, it would be the first time since 2016 that two Spurs players were honored in the same season. Back then, Kawhi Leonard made the first team and LaMarcus Aldridge made the third, and San Antonio finished with 67 wins and the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
Castle’s case is built on a profile that doesn’t come around often. He’s a high-level defender who’s comfortable taking on some of the league’s toughest perimeter scorers, including Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Cade Cunningham. What separates him is that he brings that kind of defensive edge while also giving the Spurs a full offensive package.
Last season, Castle handled lead-ball-handler duties well, putting up the team’s highest assist average and showing real progress as both a mid-range and 3-point shooter. The expectation is that he’ll keep sharpening those areas, becoming a more complete scorer and playmaker in the process.
That kind of two-way workload is rare for any guard, which is exactly why Castle has a real path to All-NBA recognition.
Wembanyama, meanwhile, looks every bit like someone who can repeat on the First Team. Barring injuries, there isn’t much standing in the way of his second straight All-NBA First Team nod. He’s already established himself as a top-five player, and his impact on both ends is unlike anyone else’s.
His 2026 NBA playoffs experience should only make him sharper. The source material points to growth as a scorer, with Wembanyama learning his spots in the half court and becoming even better as a shot creator. That would only strengthen an All-NBA case that is already as strong as it gets.
It would also push him closer to something even bigger: his first MVP award. Wembanyama finished third in last season’s voting, and that puts him right in the mix for the league’s top individual honor.
For the Spurs, the idea is simple. Wembanyama and Castle have the tools to become the first duo of this new era to earn All-NBA recognition. Wembanyama has to keep building on his massive third season, while Castle’s offensive refinement remains the key to unlocking the next step.
In Other News...
Chris Bosh Sends Spurs Another Warning About Victor Wembanyama
Chris Bosh has become one of the clearest voices for Victor Wembanyama as the Spurs star continues navigating the kind of health scare that can change a career in a hurry. Bosh knows the stakes better than most after blood clots cut short his own NBA run, and he recently offered advice from that experience while making the rounds at a charity event. For San Antonio, the connection matters because Wembanyama has already dealt with a diagnosis that forced him off the floor before he returned to play.
Wembanyama was diagnosed in February 2025 and later got the green light from medical staff four months after surgery, but the subject is still bigger than a typical injury update. Bosh has spoken openly about his own condition, and his warning carries extra weight because it comes from someone who lived through the long-term consequences. The Spurs can only hope Wembanyama keeps moving forward, because with this issue, the margins are as thin as they get. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs May Have Proven The Right Way To Build Around Wemby
The Giannis Antetokounmpo speculation around San Antonio never went anywhere, but it did underscore the bigger question hanging over the franchise: how aggressively should the Spurs chase a title while Victor Wembanyama is still on the rise? In theory, Giannis would have been an ideal fit next to Wembanyama, giving the Spurs a devastating blend of rim pressure, defense and star power. Instead, the front office stayed the course with its young core, a decision that looked more patient than flashy at the time.
Now the way San Antonio handled that moment feels a lot smarter in hindsight. The Spurs kept their foundation intact, advanced all the way to the NBA Finals and enter the next season with real championship expectations. For a team trying to build around a generational player, the lesson may be that the right move is not always the biggest one, especially when the roster is already starting to look like it can win on its own. [Read more 🡒]
Keldon Johnson Faces A Spurs Season That Could Change Everything
Keldon Johnsons last season offered a sharp reminder of how quickly a players standing can shift. He put together a strong regular season, but the playoffs exposed some rough edges, especially on defense and when he tried to get into the paint. For a Spurs team trying to keep building the right way, that kind of postseason swing matters, because it changes how the front office and coaching staff view his place in the rotation.
Johnson is headed into a season where the opportunity may not look quite as large as it once did, and that alone adds pressure. He will need a better all-around showing if he wants to strengthen his case for another deal with San Antonio, and every stretch of play figures to matter as the Spurs sort out what comes next around him. [Read more 🡒]