In the days after the San Antonio Spurs lost the NBA Finals, the consensus among fans was pretty clear.
Get De’Aaron Fox off my basketball team!
Since then, the anti-Fox takes have cooled a bit, although it’s clear he’s more of a “bridge” player than a centerpiece. The Spurs’ future, along with Victor Wembanyama, is built around Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle. That young pair is expected to take over the backcourt any day now.
Wembanyama volunteering to take a pay cut goes a long way in giving the Spurs some flexibility. However, Fox is still on the payroll to the tune of a maximum $222 million contract.
The Spurs don’t want to have to pick between Harper and Castle, but if Fox stays on the team, they might have to. Wembanyama prolonged the timeline, but he didn’t totally destroy it.
Spurs Are Running Out of Time on De’Aaron Fox
Next summer, Castle will be eligible for an extension. Even if he follows Wemby’s playbook, he’s going to be expensive.
In 2028, Harper will be going through the exact same thing.
Thanks to Wembanyama’s pay cut, the Spurs should pretty easily be able to afford their young trio plus some role players who want to play for a winning team. There is a massive hurdle, though.
Fox is a very good player. However, he’s at (or past) his prime, and his playstyle could stunt the growth of both Castle and Harper. There are plenty of on-court reasons to get him off the team. Off the court, his salary is more of a roadblock than anything.
“In San Antonio, there is a financial runway to extend Stephon Castle despite Wembanyama recently signing a five-year extension and De’Aaron Fox in the middle of a four-year, $222 million max contract,” outlined ESPN’s Bobby Marks. “Wembanyama chose not to include the 30% escalator clause for MVP, All-NBA and Defensive Player of the Year that would have added $50 million to the contract. The nearly $10 million in savings will help secure a long-term deal with Castle.”
Extending Castle next summer shouldn’t be too tricky. Extending Harper, though, with Fox still on the books, will be.
At most, Fox has two seasons left in San Antonio. He’s under contract for four, so unless he regains some trade value, the Spurs might have to entice would-be suitors with a draft pick.
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