The San Antonio Spurs have already signaled they don’t intend to move De’Aaron Fox before the season begins. But with the trade deadline still sitting out in February, there’s room for that conversation to change if Fox doesn’t look like a long-term fit.
That’s where the real issue starts for San Antonio. If Fox is eventually moved, Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle would be the only real ball-handlers left.
That’s workable in a starting lineup, but it would leave the bench thin and the overall guard depth exposed. Any deal involving Fox would need to bring back another point guard who can handle the offense for stretches, even if he isn’t an All-Star.
One mock trade does exactly that, though the cost is heavy.
The proposal sends De'Aaron Fox, Keldon Johnson, a 2027 first-round pick (via ATL), and a 2031 pick swap (via DAL or MIN) to the Denver Nuggets for Jamal Murray and Cam Johnson.
For Denver, the logic is tied to finances. The Nuggets are the only team currently above the second apron, and they want to trim salary.
Aaron Gordon was mentioned as a possible trade candidate, and before the Spurs signed Tobias Harris, adding him would have made more sense. Now the focus shifts to Murray, who just put together the best season of his career and made the All-Star Game for the first time.
If San Antonio landed Murray, Harper would stay in a bench role. That’s part of what makes the deal so notable: it doesn’t just add another guard, it reshapes the way the Spurs would deploy their backcourt.
The trade also gives Denver extra draft assets and trims about $5 million in salary. Murray has three seasons left on his contract, while Fox has four.
There’s another version of the deal, too. If Denver doesn’t want to include Cam Johnson, the Nuggets could send Christian Braun instead.
Braun is described as a solid two-way wing, though he’s injury-prone and is about to begin a five-year, $125 million extension. That kind of contract would be a tough one to swallow, so if the Spurs took him, they would probably have to give up less draft capital.
At the center of it all is the Fox-for-Murray swap. Fox is the more durable player, but Murray may be the better one. He’s clearly the stronger shooter, and that skill set would fit more naturally alongside Castle and Harper than Fox’s game would.
Would Denver be eager to move Murray? Not really.
But Fox would give the Nuggets a reliable point guard, and his downhill style would pair well with Nikola Jokic. The bigger picture for Denver is cost-cutting, and that could force them to consider a deal if it helps them shed money.
They’d probably prefer to send out Braun rather than Johnson, but if draft picks are part of the return, they’d have to find a structure that works for the Spurs.
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