The San Antonio Spurs are betting big on a three-guard look featuring Dylan Harper, De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle in the 2026-27 NBA season. But the early returns from last season come with a clear caution sign.
When those three shared the floor during the 2025-26 campaign, the results were rough. ESPN's Michael C. Wright reported that Harper, Fox and Castle “played just 69 minutes together last season, including 25 in the Finals, and were outscored by 47 points in those minutes, according to ESPN Research.”
That doesn’t mean San Antonio is backing away from the idea. The Spurs actually had much better numbers when pairing any two of the three guards. Fox and Castle posted a plus-9.4 net rating in the regular season, Fox and Harper checked in at plus-6.2, and Harper with Castle was the strongest duo at plus-11.0.
Head coach Mitch Johnson still sees plenty to work with, especially with Victor Wembanyama anchoring the roster and giving the Spurs room to mix and match.
“We're very fortunate to have such a dynamic roster where you can really get creative in terms of puzzle pieces and how you want to build out the puzzle,” Johnson said. “We saw it at times with the three guards in addition to what you can do around Victor. … There's definite growth for those three guys just in terms of playing off each other and continuing to complement each other.”
San Antonio is also leaning on new lead assistant Billy Donovan, who replaced Sean Sweeney after Sweeney left to become the Orlando Magic's head coach. Donovan brings experience with a similar setup from his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he coached Chris Paul, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dennis Schroder during the 2019-20 season.
Fox pointed to that background as a reason for optimism.
“It's been great,” Fox said. “One thing we've talked about is him being able to coach three guards at the same time.
When he was [head coach] in OKC, he had Dennis [Schroder], Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] and [Chris Paul]. So, he's been able to make it work.
That team wasn't supposed to go to the playoffs at the time and then ended up playing well because they figured it out. That's one thing he's bringing to us.”
According to Wright, Donovan has already spent significant time working with Fox, Harper and Castle during portions of practice that were open to the media.
The appeal is obvious. All three guards can put pressure on the rim, create for others and force defenses to make decisions. Harper sounded fired up after San Antonio’s preseason-opening loss to the Atlanta Hawks last Thursday.
“We're going to be really hard to guard,” Harper said. “When me and Steph get downhill, Fox has the same ability.
I think all three of us can be hard to guard, and there's going to be a whole lot of mismatches on the floor. Playing with each other, we're all unselfish, and we all understand where we're going to get our shots from.
And we understand what we all have to do to win. So, it's going to be great.”
Still, the Spurs have work to do before the regular season settles in. The group has not had many chances to test itself in live action, and Fox has missed every preseason game so far, including Monday’s 119-109 loss to the Utah Jazz.
San Antonio wraps up preseason with a home game against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET, then finishes against the Sacramento Kings on Friday at 8 p.m. ET.
The Spurs want the three-guard setup to add another layer to an offense built around Wembanyama. But based on last season’s numbers, making Harper, Fox and Castle click together could be one of the team’s toughest tasks as it chases another trip to the NBA Finals.
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The Spurs trimmed their camp roster ahead of the 2026/27 season by waiving Taelon Peter, Malik Williams and Terry Taylor, part of the usual late-preseason sorting that comes with training camp competition. It is the kind of move that rarely grabs headlines on its own, but it does sharpen the focus on who is still standing as the Spurs continue to shape the back end of the roster.
Around the league, several other teams were making similar decisions, with the Hawks signing Giorgi Bezhanishvili to an Exhibit 10 deal, the Jazz adding Chance Moore and the Cavaliers waiving Jaxson Robinson. Cole Swider, DeAndre Williams and Steven Crowl were also let go by the Lakers, Clippers and Nuggets, respectively, underscoring how active this stretch can be as teams settle on their final looks before the season begins. [Read more 🡒]
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The Spurs have spent the preseason looking for the kind of sturdy interior presence that can take some of the burden off Victor Wembanyama, and rookie center Tarris Reed Jr. has given them a promising early look. Reed has stood out for his work on the glass and around the rim, including a 17-rebound game against Utah and another strong showing against Phoenix, where he finished with three blocks and nine rebounds.
For a young big trying to earn trust in a crowded rotation, that sort of consistency matters as much as the headline numbers. Reed said he plans to keep bringing effort and persistence, and San Antonio will be watching to see whether that carries into a steady role as the season gets closer. The Spurs could use a reliable backup behind Wembanyama, and Reed has at least made that conversation worth having. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Already Have One Big Concern With This Wembanyama Experiment
The Spurs spent a preseason look against Phoenixs backups trying something ambitious, dropping DeAaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama into a guard-heavy lineup that was always going to be watched closely. It was the first time that group had played together, according to coach Mitch Johnson, and even in a small sample it hinted at both sides of the equation San Antonio is trying to balance: enough ballhandling and perimeter talent to pressure defenses, plus the kind of size and activity Wembanyama brings to everything around him.
What showed up quickly, though, was the downside. The group flashed defensive promise, but the spacing and shooting issues were apparent early, leaving the Spurs with a familiar preseason question as they keep sorting through rotations before the games start to count. The idea is intriguing enough to keep revisiting, but the early returns suggest there is still plenty to iron out before this kind of look can be counted on in regular-season minutes. [Read more 🡒]