Is the NBA sending a message with its Christmas program?

The NBA released its Christmas Day schedule on Thursday evening – the games in which have long been coveted by players and fans alike – and although many well-known teams were once again awarded the contract, there were also a few surprises.

Two new teams joined the fold, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the San Antonio Spurs, one of which made sense, especially given Anthony Edwards' rising superstar status and the success his team had in last season's playoffs.

But the other one? The Spurs, who finished 22-60 for the second straight season, also earned a spot. Granted, they'll be playing the first game away in one of the toughest arenas around, but it counts.

READ MORE: Spurs end Christmas slump and meet the Knicks at MSG

Twenty-year-old star Victor Wembanyama will lead the Spurs' lineup as the young team, now featuring Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes, faces Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks, who just reached the Eastern Conference Finals.

It is safe to say that only one team really earned his keep.

However, it seems like the NBA is sending a message.

By adding Silver & Black, the league essentially admitted that marketability, or more simply put, excitement, plays a role in determining prime-time matchups on days like Christmas.

REGARD: Gold medal game and Spurs vs. Knicks on the Joe Gaither Show

So far, only teams that have recently won championships, MVP titles, winning records and playoff berths have made the Christmas list. On paper, the Spurs had none of those.

But they have Wembanyama.

“He's just so charismatic,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said of the Frenchman before he even stepped onto the court for a regular season game. “He's so worldly. He speaks several languages. … I don't want to put any more pressure on him, but he has the chance to be one of the really great players.”

Everything Silver said was true. Wembanyama has a likeable personality that goes beyond his exceptional talent. He has quickly become one of the more well-known players in the league and, if he continues to develop as expected, will likely be the face of the NBA in a few years.

The “X-factor” he seems to possess did not help him in the Defensive Player of the Year vote, a competition in which Rudy Gobert had a better defensive rating and was the anchor of a team that is in a much better position in the Western Conference than Wembanyama's Spurs.

Sure, he made plays that not many other players could pull off. Yes, he scared off players who didn't want to rush to the basket on quick counterattacks. But the numbers just didn't add up.

At Christmas it didn't seem to matter.

READ MORE: Did the Spurs do enough to earn the Christmas Day matchup?

San Antonio overtook the Oklahoma City Thunder — a team that led the Western Conference at the end of the regular season — in the queue for a Christmas Day game. It also overtook the New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings and LA Clippers. It replaced the Milwaukee Bucks.

And why? Marketability.

The move suggests that the NBA considered Wembanyama a more attractive player than the great Greek Giannis Antetokounmpo. It seemed that fans were more likely to see the Frenchman than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren.

It also implied that Edwards and co. were better on television than the latter duo.

While the Thunder would be rightfully upset about the draft luck, there's not much to say about it. It's hard to compete with a 7-foot-4 player who handles like a point guard. And it's certainly hard to argue about marketability when that player already has his own shoe contract, a commercial and a logo with Nike.

That puts the Spurs against the Knicks. These two teams faced each other twice last season. The first meeting was a blowout win for New York and the second was a masterpiece from Wembanyama, with the power forward putting up 40 points, 20 rebounds, seven assists and three sticks.

The first time around, the Knicks were able to show their fans – and the rookie – who's boss, while the second game provided an opportunity for a nice exchange of praise between the two stars.

READ MORE: Why the Spurs mastered the offseason correctly

“He's going to be one of the best players this game has ever seen,” Brunson said after his team's loss to the Spurs in late March. “Just the way he's built. What he's accomplished so far. I have a lot of respect for him.”

However the game turns out in December, the NBA is unlikely to regret its decision. If the Knicks win comfortably, one of the league's most legendary franchises will have scored another classic Christmas victory.

If Wembanyama win away from home, one of the most promising young talents will be able to add another game to his arsenal, showing once again why he is worth the hype and likely cementing his team's place on the holiday list for years to come.

It's a win-win situation for the league. Whether there are subliminal messages or not, there's no other way to describe it.

This time the Spurs were just lucky.