Jason Burgos
For San Antonio Spurs fans hoping the team trades guard De’Aaron Fox for draft compensation or players to fill other needs, a new report offers some disappointing news.
When Fox arrived before last year’s NBA trade deadline, he was viewed as a move to help their young roster take a big step forward in their development. While a blood clot issue for Victor Wembanyama and injuries for the 28-year-old undercut those plans in 2024-25, they were realized this season.
In his first full campaign in San Antonio, Fox earned All-Star honors for just the second time as he averaged over 18 points and six assists a night for a team that was in a fight for the best record in the NBA late into the season. However, while he looked good early in the 2026 playoffs, he will forever be remembered for his play and major miscues during the NBA Finals.
In the Finals against the New York Knicks, he averaged just over 12 points and had 14 turnovers in their five-game series. He was also exposed at times defensively and made several big mistakes late in games, including not trying to kill the clock in the final seconds of the Spurs’ epic Game 4 loss, where they blew a 29-point lead in the second half.
San Antonio Spurs still see De’Aaron Fox as a huge part of their future
His play was certainly affected by an ankle sprain he was battling through since the Conference Finals. However, they don’t explain the mental lapses. It also didn’t help that rookie Dylan Harper absolutely completely outplayed him when he was inserted into games off the bench. It has all created a groundswell among some San Antonio fans to trade the nine-year veteran this summer and let Harper get his starting role.
Well, we have some bad news for those fans. According to ESPN’s Michael C. Wright, the Spurs are fully committed to Fox and still view him as their franchise starting point guard. A source told the San Antonio beat reporter that Fox is considered a calming presence on the floor and is seen as the team’s closer for most of the season. The source added that one bad series playing on one leg didn’t change the opinions of decision-makers.
The Spurs gave Fox a new four-year, $221 million contract a year ago.
