Tyler Rourke
The San Antonio Spurs fell to the New York Knicks 94-90 in Game 5 on Saturday night, losing the NBA Finals 4-1. While San Antonio statistically led for more than 50 percent of the series, it was their inexperience that stood out, blowing double-digit leads in each of their four losses.
In February of 2025, the Spurs acquired De’Aaron Fox from the Sacramento Kings. At that moment in time, Fox was an All-Star-level player and viewed as Victor Wembanyama’s running mate for the rest of his career.
Fast forward to today. Fox had a disappointing playoff run with the Spurs. The 28-year-old averaged 15.6 points per game on 41.4 percent shooting from the field in the postseason. He also made a crucial mistake in the final minute of Game 4 on Wednesday to help the Knicks finish off a historic comeback win after trailing by 29 points.
With 21-year-old Dylan Harper growing into a star, San Antonio may look to trade Fox to let Harper slide into a starting role.
Here are three trade options the Spurs could consider for Fox this offseason.
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic made a risky move last offseason, acquiring Desmond Bane in exchange for four first-round draft picks. With the idea that Jalen Suggs could be the full-time point guard, they wanted to play Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero alongside each other. That hasn’t quite worked out after they lost in the first round to the Detroit Pistons this spring.
What Orlando could do is deal Wagner to the Spurs in exchange for Fox. San Antonio has been rumored in trades for wings like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Trey Murphy III, but Wagner hasn’t been mentioned. Orlando desperately needs a true point guard, and Suggs would fit much better in a Derrick White role as a top-end defender. These are two teams looking to compete. However, both have faced multiple positional needs. A trade of Fox for Wagner could benefit both teams.
Toronto Raptors
Similar to the deal with the Magic, this would have the Toronto Raptors trade a lengthy wing to help the Spurs’ positional needs. Although Julian Champagnie was great for San Antonio, they don’t have another established scorer on the wing besides Devin Vassell. Harrison Barnes is past his prime, Carter Bryant is too young, and Keldon Johnson is sometimes too inconsistent. That is where Brandon Ingram comes in.
Ingram is coming off his second career All-Star appearance with the Raptors and is a fantastic scorer. He’s averaged 19.8 points per game in his career and offers potential for a variety in lineups. Ingram is a 6-foot-8 forward who is 28 years old, the same age as Fox. Toronto could also upgrade its guard position alongside Immanuel Quickley, while also freeing up more playing time for their young wings like Gradey Dick, Ja’Kobe Walter, and Collin Murray-Boyles. Once again, this is an option where both teams could benefit from a trade with this framework.
Brooklyn Nets
The basework for a trade with the Brooklyn Nets is simple. They don’t own their 2027 first-round pick, which means they will have to compete. One of the few bright spots for Brooklyn this past season was Michael Porter Jr. Although he has some injury issues, when he is on the court, he is spectacular.
Again, he fits the mold of the wing the Spurs need, but he is a little less ball-dominant. While Porter Jr. can be effective in isolation, he is at his best as a catch-and-shoot player, and he is one of the best in the league at it. Brooklyn has money to spend this offseason, and with rumors of them looking to give Austin Reaves a max contract, a duo of Fox and Reaves could at least make them respectable in the East. Porter Jr. would add great floor spacing while still keeping the ball in the hands of their young players.
