A closer look at the De'Aaron Fox to the Spurs trade rumor

Today at 09:33 PM

The Spurs are reportedly interested in the Kings' star point guard, which makes perfect sense. But will Fox be interested in them if he forces his way out of Sacramento?

The first big trade rumor involving the Spurs is upon us. De'Aaron Fox might be running out of patience with the middling Kings and the Silver and Black will be ready to pounce if things deteriorate and he asks out, according to The Athletic's Sam Amick and Anthony Slater ($).

It's the first time the Spurs have been reported to have interest in Fox and nothing seems imminent, but it's not surprising to see the two parties linked. San Antonio is on the rise but could use an upgrade at point guard, is not restricted on trades by the aprons, and has a superstar in place in Victor Wembanyama. Fox is in his prime, looking for a team with big aspirations and a max contract, and he'd fit seamlessly next to Wemby.

As with every big potential trade, things are not as easy as they seem on the surface. So let's take a closer look at what De'Aaron Fox to the Spurs would look like and how likely it is to happen.

Why Fox to the Spurs could happen

Fox reportedly wants to go deep in the playoffs. The Kings are not contenders and the path to get there is not simple. They added DeMar DeRozan last summer in hopes of taking a leap forward after making the play-in last season in the stacked West and so far have taken a step back. The Fox-DeRozan-Domantas Sabonis core is solid but they lack a superstar and Keegan Murray, who seemed like the type of connective two-way young piece that would tie it all together, has stagnated in his development on offense. Sacramento is stuck being good but not great with a somewhat pricey roster that is about to get even more expensive and no blue-chip asset that can net them the missing piece. In that context, it's understandable for 27-year-old Fox to be concerned about the future and potentially looking for a new home.

San Antonio is a young non-contender, so the fit is not ideal on the surface, but the Silver and Black are on an upward trajectory, have a superstar in Victor Wembanyama, have the assets to get a deal done and even after potentially landing Fox would still have ammo left over to continue to improve the roster. On the court, Fox would get as many touches as he needs as the top perimeter option, so he wouldn't have to accept a smaller role that could cost him individual accolades. At the same time, he wouldn't be the focus of everyone's attention with Wembanyama as his teammate, so there would be less pressure than in other places. The Spurs could offer him the money, role, help and high ceiling Fox probably wants, so they should be considered a serious possibility as a landing spot if he asks out.

Why Fox to the Spurs probably won't happen

The report about Fox's agent, Rich Paul, visiting Sacramento states that the goal was to figure out the franchise's plan going forward. There was no public trade demand or news about major conflicts. The team isn't winning so Fox isn't happy, but that could change quickly. The Kings are likely better than their 13-17 record suggests, as they have the 14-best net rating in the entire NBA. Despite having two heralded closers in Fox and DeRozan, they have the second-lowest winning percentage in the clutch. They have also suffered a cavalcade of injuries throughout the season. They have undoubtedly been disappointing and uninspiring but could turn things around enough by simply playing harder, being lucky, and tweaking their roster at the deadline. They won't contend, but they could definitely make the playoffs and that might be enough for Fox, for now.

Even if Fox does force his way out of Sacramento, he might not have San Antonio as a desired landing spot. The East would give him a much easier path to deep playoff runs and desirable markets like Chicago and Miami could be real possibilities. If he wants to stay in the West, the established Rockets could be a better fit for a player in his prime than the still-developing Spurs, and the mediocre but always-appealing Lakers could make a big play for him. The Kings could just decide to take the best offer but if Fox publicly pushes for a specific landing spot, Sacramento won't have much leverage, since the star point guard only has one more year in his contract. Just because it seems like Fox and the Spurs make sense together from the outside doesn't mean the player and his management team feel the same way.

It's not surprising the Spurs have been named as a potential landing spot for Fox if his situation with the Kings deteriorates. The young team has been more successful than most anticipated which might have rightfully resulted in raised ambitions and sped-up timelines. If that's the case, San Antonio should be able to put together a deal that doesn't completely destroy the roster thanks to the good work done by the front office.

It's too early to get excited at the prospect of Fox or any other star wearing Silver and Black this season, but it's encouraging to see the Spurs getting ready to use the assets and flexibility they've amassed to look for upgrades. It doesn't mean anything will happen this season, as there's too much outside the franchise's control that needs to be considered, but the two months until the trade deadline should be an interesting time for San Antonio.