When San Antonio brought in De'Aaron Fox, it was easy to assume the script had already been written: Victor Wembanyama as the centerpiece, Fox as the clear No. 2, and a max contract backing up that idea. But the way the Spurs actually operated told a different story, and Stephon Castle’s rise is a big reason why.
Fox’s place in the offense looks a lot more like a high-end third option than a traditional second star. The numbers back that up.
During the regular season, Fox took the second-most field-goal attempts per game, but Castle carried the higher usage rate and handled more of the offense. The gap was tiny - 24.3 to 24.2 - but it widened in the playoffs, where Castle moved ahead again, 24.5 to 22.3.
That setup worked for San Antonio because Fox did a lot of his damage within the flow of the offense. There’s no reason to fight that.
In fact, the Spurs would be smart to keep leaning into it, especially with this group only just getting a full season together. As long as the focus stays on winning, the fit should keep getting cleaner.
Fox also now has a full season in the system behind him, and that matters. He should know more clearly how to be most effective going forward, and the second year in a role like this often comes with a smoother adjustment.
None of that means Fox was anything less than productive in 2025-26. He averaged 19 points on 49% shooting from the field. His three-point shot fell off badly in the second half of the season, but outside of that, he was efficient.
There’s a familiar blueprint here, too. Chris Bosh and Kevin Love both had to make the same kind of shift after moving from being the lead guy to fitting in as a third option.
Bosh was the man in Toronto before joining LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in Miami, and while he was solid in year one, he didn’t really settle into that role until his second full year. Love went through a similar process after leaving the Timberwolves and becoming No. 3 behind Bron and Kyrie Irving in Cleveland.
The point isn’t that they got worse. It’s that the adjustment from being the primary engine to, at times, taking a back seat takes time.
That’s the lane Fox should be in now. The Spurs don’t need him to become the Sacramento version of himself.
They need the best San Antonio version, which is a different job entirely. One player carried a franchise.
The other has to help power one built around Wembanyama.
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