Wembanyama Participated in Shootaround — Could Play Friday vs. Mavs

Victor Wembanyama took an elbow from Paul George on Monday and left with a rib contusion. The MRI came back clean — no structural damage. But the Spurs are playing it careful.

Wemby sat out Wednesday's 112-101 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, but he participated in the team's shootaround earlier in the day. That's a good sign. The Spurs have three games left in the regular season, and Wembanyama needs to log at least 20 minutes in one of them to maintain eligibility for end-of-season awards — including MVP and Defensive Player of the Year.

Friday night against the Dallas Mavericks looks like the target for his return. The Spurs have already locked up the No. 2 seed in the West at 60 wins, so there's no urgency to rush him back. But Wemby's individual season has been so historically dominant that sitting out the final stretch would be a cruel twist. Expect him to suit up Friday.