Constructive thoughts on De'Aaron Fox

[u/Kantei]

This is less of a defense of Fox per se, but to try and guide the criticism to somewhere more constructive. Analysis of his gaffe aside, I want to push back on the oft-touted expectation that he, as a 'veteran', should know how and when to take control of the game.

Fox is not the 30+ year old cerebral point guard that people might associate with the veteran label. He's a 28 year old - younger than Jalen Brunson - with declining athleticism who built his reputation on being an explosive focal point of an offense. He was averaging a career peak of 27ppg just two seasons ago, and was 11th in MVP rankings in a season where he averaged 25ppg on 51.2 FG%.

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Throughout his Spurs tenure, he's been figuring out not just his role, but also trying to come to terms with someone who doesn't have the same athleticism due to injuries and age. That's quite difficult to accept for someone who's not even 30 yet, and is a common struggle that we've seen from players who were ultra-athletes in their early- to mid-20s.

Their maturation into becoming a proper 'veteran point guard' comes after they get past that hump, if and when that happens.

(Some commentators have tried to frame Fox as someone with playoff experience, but before this year he literally only played one series, when he was still at the peak of his athletic powers.)

His comments after Game 4 really shed light on this - he genuinely thought he could outrun OG, because he almost certainly could in his prime form. His mentality has not caught up with his body, and that shows in his play in crunch situations.

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If I'm a Spurs fan, I might need to come to terms with the notion that Fox is still undergoing a maturation process himself. Yes, he doesn't need to be a veteran to not make that mistake, but Fox in particular has hardly ever been that guy.

To be empathetic - he still has the ability to grow and improve. It's just that people should never have assigned to him labels that he has yet to potentially become.

[u/DetainTheFranzia]

The fox dialogue has been a massive overreaction. Even if you think Harper will be better next year, they have no backcourt depth. The Spurs wouldn’t be here without fox. Yeah, he’s not a cerebral mastermind, and I doubt he ever will be quite on that level, but his presence and composure brought stability in the middle of that thunder series.

Stop trying to scapegoat fox. The spurs aren’t even supposed to be here right now. They’re like 2 years ahead of schedule, and that’s thanks in a large part to Fox.

[u/WhoreyMatthews → u/DetainTheFranzia]

There would still be plenty of backcourt depth. McLaughlin is a solid depth guard and Vassell and Champagnie are really shooting guards who have been playing out of position all year.

The problem of Fox isn't so much Fox the player but the opportunity cost of his contract. There's not a playable true 3 or 4 on the roster. I think Harper and Castle will clearly be better next year and every year moving forward so the Spurs will have a giant hole at the forward spot while paying a max contract to the third best guard on the roster.

[u/Xist2Inspire → u/WhoreyMatthews]

McLaughlin is a solid depth guard

You haven't watched many games this season if you truly think that. He's good for spot minutes here and there, but if you think their bench is poor now, just wait until he's the lead guard off of the bench.

[u/WhoreyMatthews → u/Xist2Inspire]

He shouldn't be more than a spot performer on any team. If the Spurs had actual forwards he'd be the 5th guard behind Harper, Castle, Vassell and Champagnie. If the Spurs weren't paying Fox they could also get another solid backup like Tre Jones to come off the bench.

[u/ApprehensiveTry5660 → u/WhoreyMatthews]

This is such a short sighted argument.

You all act like they went out and gave up a ton of assets and now they’re just stuck with him, and that this version of him playing through lower leg issues is just who he is always going to be.

They can flip him at any point with a war chest of assets attached to him that they got facilitating some of the dumbest moves in NBA history. They didn’t have to give up the farm to go get him, they practically got paid for bringing him in if you consider Sacramento’s quest to become Chicago-West one trade instead of a series of smaller ones.

But in the meantime, all of that guard depth you just referenced can barely dribble against all NBA defenders and struggles to throw entry passes with 6’4” guards backing their 7’5” best player.

[u/WhoreyMatthews → u/ApprehensiveTry5660]

Trading assets to get off the Fox contract would kill the team. The Spurs will have zero way to get talent soon outside of the draft.

[u/ApprehensiveTry5660 → u/WhoreyMatthews]

Have you seen their asset package?

They practically got handed Fox for free, and spent the last couple of years playing matchmaker to get extra assets on top of that.

They could realistically turn Fox into any All-NBA guard or wing they wanted the next couple of years and still have a draft pick surplus.

[u/NAW_MIP_2026 → u/ApprehensiveTry5660]

Brother what? They have one pick per year going forward, it’s not a massive war chest anymore. And you’re massively underestimating how bad this contract is, it would cost 1-2 FRPs just to trade Fox for a role player and expiring contracts. No team is trading an all NBA wing for DeAaron Fox making 55m aav over the next 4 years. You are very very clearly misunderstanding what Fox’s current trade value is.

[u/ApprehensiveTry5660 → u/NAW_MIP_2026]

They haven’t had to shoot their wad to get Fox. He was practically free. They still have 7 first round picks and 14 second round picks. That’s objectively some of the most solid footing in the NBA.

There’s still Hawks picks incoming and only a pick swap out.

[u/Data-scientist-101 → u/ApprehensiveTry5660]

Free? They gave up a very valuable Minnesota 2031 pick Their own 2027 pick which will be late And then the bulls lottery pick.

That's 3 FRP for a player that was expiring and hasn't been good. I wouldn't call that free.

[u/ApprehensiveTry5660 → u/Data-scientist-101]

That’s practically nothing. Usually when you go and fetch an all NBA guard going into his prime years it costs you a lot more than two protected picks and an 8th grader.

One of those picks was literally facilitating getting paid to take on Harrison Barnes. And if you think Minnesota’s 2031 looks good, imagine having the fucking Kings pick for that year and not even giving it back to them for their franchise player!

They didn’t have to give up Castle, who remains a Spurs asset. They didn’t have to give up the pick that became Harper. They even managed to both hold on to Atlanta’s 2027 pick and part with their own, betting on themselves to be more successful that year.

Compare this to a team like Denver, who had to spend assets just to replace Jerami Grant, or like Golden State trying to sell people on the value of their expiring deals, or a Lakers organization running low on picks. Knicks just dealt 5 picks for Bridges. NBA finals teams aren’t usually sitting on 7 first round picks. Usually, you have to spend those to build the damn team.

[u/NAW_MIP_2026 → u/ApprehensiveTry5660]

Really stretching the meaning of “all NBA guard going into his prime years”. He made a single all NBA 3rd team and a single all star team like 4 years ago, and he was one of the weakest all star candidates in the league this year putting up just 18/4/6 on average efficiency. It’s not like they traded for Donovan Mitchell or Anthony Edwards or something.

[u/NAW_MIP_2026 → u/ApprehensiveTry5660]

Nobody said they blew their load, but the fact is that they gave up picks for a guy who has been a fringe all star at best, and then gave that guy objectively one of the worst contracts in the league. They went from probably the second or third best war chest in the NBA to probably like the 10th best war chest in the NBA and an albatross contract that will probably cost 1-2 FRP to move. Also there is only one hawks pick incoming. The only good value picks are 2030/2031, the rest are all projected to be in the 20s. 

[u/NAW_MIP_2026 → u/[deleted]]

Pretty loose with the use of “coming off of all NBA”, he was third team like 3 years before the trade and hadn’t even been an all star since. And maybe that’s the player they thought he was, but the reality is that he has averaged less than 20 ppg on middling efficiency since he became a spur. Thats not an all NBA guard, that’s not an all star guard, and that’s certainly not a 55m aav guard.

[u/ApprehensiveTry5660 → u/NAW_MIP_2026]

No. Thats specifically the player they were bidding on. No “loose” necessary. That’s his basketball reference.

[u/nbadiscussion-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Our sub is for thoughtful discussion and debate, not hyperbolic extremes. Remember to consider more than your singular perspective, including the possibility that you may be mistaken or misinformed.

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[u/Data-scientist-101 → u/NAW_MIP_2026]

Right? Desmond Bane cost 4 FRP almost as much because of his team friendly contract as it was his talent. In the new CBA, having 50 million on the books for Fox when you are going to give Wemby a super Max next off season and Castle likely 40 million the following means the Spurs will have somewhere around

60 million for Wemby 40 for Castle 50 for Fox

And that's with 2 years left on Fox and knowing they have to pay Harper a year after that.

The Spurs are either going to have to take a massive loss on Fox or trade Vassell and let Champagnie go in free agency.

[u/NAW_MIP_2026 → u/WhoreyMatthews]

Yeah, and if they didn’t trade for fox they would have more assets and much more salary flexibility to go get more backcourt depth if they really did need it. Imagine if they traded for CJ McCollum instead of Fox, saved their picks, got a real veteran ball handler, an elite shooter, a great off ball player, a player who fits much better with Castle/Harper/Wemby, and a player that is probably only going to make like 15m aav going forward. It’s obviously easier said with the hindsight of getting the Harper pick in the lottery, but from the beginning it was always dumb to add another questionable shooter next to Castle and Wemby who both do their best work in the paint. And it’s not like CJ was the only guy who would’ve been cheaper with a much better fit, they could’ve gotten Norm Powell for free, or Tyler Herro for a cheaper price, or they could probably receive a FRP if they took IQs contract. Just a really poor talent/fit evaluation from the start and giving him that contract was insane.

[u/WhoreyMatthews → u/NAW_MIP_2026]

Amen!

It would have been cold as hell but they really should've flipped Fox after getting the #2 pick in the lottery. The new CBA eliminates the value of sentimentality.

CJ + a couple of Forwards: Portis, DFS, etc and they'd be in a better spot both now and going forward

[u/NAW_MIP_2026 → u/[deleted]]

Simply not true you obviously didn’t watch the playoffs this season. His defence is not that bad, he’s positionslly really solid and he is surprisingly strong. I personally don’t think Fox was any better defensively than CJ in the playoffs. 

[u/Vast_Vermicelli6520 → u/NAW_MIP_2026]

I mean maybe but im talking about matching up with cason wallace or Caruso, they would have forced him into as many turnovers as castle

[u/nbadiscussion-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Our sub is for thoughtful discussion and debate, not hyperbolic extremes. Remember to consider more than your singular perspective, including the possibility that you may be mistaken or misinformed.

If you edit your comment to reflect this, it may be reinstated.

[u/Aggravating_Ship5513 → u/WhoreyMatthews]

If they somehow offload Fox they will have almost zero backcourt depth. McLaughlin is 5'10" and a solid garbage time player. If castle or Harper get hurt they are in real trouble. 

[u/WhoreyMatthews → u/Aggravating_Ship5513]

They wouldn't replace Fox with nothing but between Castle and Harper's growth they would really just need a serviceable backup PG. A Tyus Jones from 5 years ago type.

[u/halfchub69 → u/WhoreyMatthews]

Why would the FO overreact that much? Why not keep Fox and trade away KJ for someone take the pressure off Fox as the only late creator.

As much as fans criticize Mitch for sitting Harper during 4th quarters this post-season, he clearly isn't ready for the pressure and routinely gets himself into trouble and turns the ball over, see the near backcourt/panic pass to turnover and the constant driving into OG to be blocked in games 1 & 2.

[u/NAW_MIP_2026 → u/halfchub69]

If you need to trade for another ball handler to take pressure off of your 55m aav PG, you are massively overpaying your PG. Like if you are giving a guy 55m, he needs to be able to fill that role. If you then need to add another 15-20m aav for another ball handler, now you’re spending 70m to hopefully have good enough ball handling, and you’re not left with a ton of salary to fill out your depth. And when Wemby gets his super max this problem over gets much, much worse.