As the San Antonio Spurs grapple with an upset loss in the NBA Finals to the New York Knicks, the front office has to put its head down and build the roster to bounce back for next season.
After a lackluster Finals debut, De’Aaron Fox has found himself in the rumor mill, with fans ready to trade him for pennies on the dollar. When the Spurs traded for Fox last season, and then extended him last summer, it was perfectly clear that they saw him as a long-term staple on the team.
Since then, however, he’s seemingly lost his clutch gene, and Dylan Harper is well ahead of schedule, perhaps ready to steal the starting job away from Fox.
With his future in San Antonio uncertain, Fox gave fans a little preview of what’s to come.
Fox Lays Out Goals for Spurs
While Fox might not be traded this summer, the prevailing belief is that he will not finish out his four-year contract in San Antonio.
Even after his putrid Finals performance, he is still a key veteran in the locker room and can generally be counted on as a steady hand.
It makes sense, then, why the Spurs might want to keep him around, even as Harper chases him in the depth chart.
“Continue to work together, continue to get better, obviously, as individuals and as a team,” Fox listed as goals for next season. “You know, it’s our first time going through something like this, so it’s definitely something to build off of. Obviously, you know, champions are made before you win a championship.”
The “first time” remark suggests that Fox believes that he will be back for future Finals runs, even as his teammates throw some shade his way. To Fox’s credit, he seems well aware of the fact that Harper and Stephon Castle are core players, and he seems eager for their attention, even if it means less playing time for him.
“These guys are all NBA guys,” Fox said of Harper and Castle. “They’re going to be All-Stars, they’re going to be All-Defensive guys, I think, both of them. They’re obviously a large part of why we were so good this year, this early in their career, so the sky’s definitely the limit for both of them.”
Heading into next season, barring a trade, the Spurs will have a loaded backcourt. Fox is a proven All-Star. Castle has All-Defensive potential. And Harper could break out as an All-NBA talent in the coming seasons.
While the Finals loss hurts, the future is very bright for the Spurs.
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