Spurs' De'Aaron Fox drops 'special' admission on why he wanted to join San Antonio
Yesterday at 05:30 PM
As De’Aaron Fox joins the San Antonio Spurs via a trade that registered around the NBA, the All-Star guard opens up about why he wanted to join the Silver and Black.
“I just felt that this could be a special team,” Fox told reporters.
The Spurs acquired the All-Star about a week after reports surfaced that Fox requested a trade from the Kings and named the Alamo City as his preferred destination.
San Antonio added Fox and fellow guard Jordan McLaughlin from Sacramento in a three-team deal that also included the Chicago Bulls, in exchange for Tre Jones, Zach Collins, Sidy Cissoko, two conditional first-round picks (2025 from Chicago, 2025 from Charlotte), two unprotected first-round picks (2027 from San Antonio, 2031 from Minnesota) and two second-round picks (2025 from Chicago, 2028 from Denver).
When asked why he wanted to play in San Antonio, Fox didn’t hesitate.
“I think with the way that they’re built, with the athleticism, with the length that they have, and also the youth,” Fox said.
The oldest player in what the Spurs consider their core is 25-year-old Keldon Johnson. Generational talent Victor Wembanyama is 21. Second leading scorer Devin Vassell is 24. Standout rookie Stephon Castle is 20.
De’Aaron Fox brings scoring to the Spurs
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound point appeared and started in 45 games for the Kings this season, averaging 25.0 points, 6.1 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.47 steals in 37.0 minutes per game. The Houston native holds career averages of 21.5 points, 6.1 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.42 steals in 514 career games (500 starts) across eight seasons with the Kings. Fox enjoyed a breakout year in 2022-23, being named to the All-NBA Third Team, the NBA All-Star team, and winning the NBA's inaugural Clutch Player of the Year award. In the same season, he led the Kings to their first playoff berth since 2006, averaging 27.4 points, 7.7 assists, and 5.4 rebounds in seven postseason games.
His coach that year with the Kings was Mike Brown, who served as a Spurs assistant earlier in his career. Brown was fired in Sacramento earlier this season.
“What Mike always talked about when I w as with him was to win you have to be able to play defense,” Fox said. “Even the year that we have the best offense in the league, I think we ended up being 23rd or 24th defensively, and then get you get to the playoffs, and you really feel that.”
The emphasis on defense fits into a Spurs culture that’s been centered around it over the course of their championship runs. Offense has been Fox’s calling card since being drafted fifth overall in 2017 out of the University of Kentucky. Only five other players have had 10,000 points, 3,000 assists, and 700 three-pointers since then: Luka Doncic, LeBron James, James Harden, Trae Young, and Damian Lillard. Fox is also one of three players in the NBA to have posted 11,000 points, 3,000 assists, and 700 steals since 2017, along with Nikola Jokic and Harden.
Wembanyama’s name will likely rank among the game’s greats – and soon – as well.
“I think with the intangibles that everybody here has, I think this could be a really good defensive team, and obviously, you have someone very special back there,” Fox said.
With an anchor like Wemby and now a frontman like De’Aaron Fox, the excitement goes multiple ways.
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