Bill Simmons tossed out a possible De’Aaron Fox solution for the San Antonio Spurs, and it came with a catch: draft capital would have to go out the door too.
That’s the part that makes the idea hard to sell right now.
Fox’s four-year extension, valued at about $223.1 million, stretches through 2029-30, so the long-term money is real. Simmons suggested the Los Angeles Clippers could send Darius Garland for Fox, with San Antonio attaching picks in the deal.
On paper, the swap is cleaner from a financial standpoint. Garland is owed $42.2 million this season and $44.9 million in 2027-28 before he hits unrestricted free agency, which means two years instead of four and one less big contract hanging over the roster.
But the Spurs don’t need to rush into a move just because the contract math looks prettier.
Fox averaged 18.6 points and 6.2 assists last season while helping San Antonio win 62 games and reach the NBA Finals, though his playoff run dipped from there. He put up 15.6 points per game during the postseason and then dropped to 12.8 points on 34.3 percent shooting in five Finals games against the New York Knicks.
At the same time, Dylan Harper was trending the other way. The rookie averaged 18.0 points and 6.4 rebounds while shooting 49.3 percent from the field in the Finals, and Stephon Castle is already part of the team’s core. That’s why the conversation exists in the first place: the backcourt is crowded, and Fox could eventually be the odd man out.
Eventually is the key word.
Right now, San Antonio is coming off a Finals run and trying to win the whole thing. Fox is 28, a two-time All-Star and still a good NBA point guard.
Garland is a good player too. This isn’t about the Spurs swapping a star for a lesser option.
It’s about whether they should give up picks to shorten a deal before the deal has actually become a problem.
There’s no reason for San Antonio to do that yet. The Spurs can go into 2026-27 with Fox, Castle and Harper, see how the trio fits, and then make the call later.
Fox could bounce back from the Finals. Harper could force the issue.
Another trade opportunity could come along.
The financial pressure is coming, though. Fox will make roughly $49.8 million this season, and that number climbs above $61 million by 2029-30. Victor Wembanyama’s extension starts next season, Castle becomes extension-eligible next summer and Harper follows a year after that.
So yes, Simmons has a point about what the future might look like. But three months after reaching the Finals, the Spurs already have something more valuable than an early exit plan.
They have time.
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The idea of Steph Curry in a Spurs uniform is the kind of late-summer speculation that instantly grabs attention, especially with Victor Wembanyama already giving San Antonio a franchise centerpiece to build around. The conversation starts with Currys future in Golden State and the possibility that the Warriors could be forced to weigh trade ideas if he does not extend his contract before next summer, which naturally sends observers searching for teams with the assets and the appetite to even enter that lane.
For San Antonio, the attraction is obvious, but so is the cost. Any serious pursuit would likely force the Spurs to put one of their prized young guards into the discussion, and there is also a version of the deal built around De'Aaron Fox plus draft capital instead. It is all highly conditional at this stage, but the framework alone says plenty about how aggressively the Spurs could try to accelerate Wembanyamas timeline if the right star ever became available. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama Faces A New Spurs Challenge After Their Breakthrough Season
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That responsibility feels different after a breakthrough run that pushed San Antonio to the Finals, where the finish left a sharp lesson for the group. Wembanyama has already spoken about what the postseason loss revealed about the details that can swing a series, and the challenge now is turning that experience into growth while the Spurs try to build on the progress they made. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Give Summer Standout A Real Chance To Earn More
Jayden Nunn has gone from an Austin Spurs contributor to a legitimate training camp name in San Antonio, earning a spot on the Spurs roster after his run in the 2026 NBA Summer League. The guard gets a real look this fall after spending time with the G League club, and his presence gives the organization another chance to evaluate a player already familiar with its developmental pipeline.
Nunn will be in the mix when camp opens, with the chance to compete for a more permanent role if he can keep building on what he showed this summer. If he does not stick in San Antonio, the path back to Austin remains there for him, which is exactly the kind of low-risk, high-upside opportunity the Spurs have used to keep young players in the system. [Read more 🡒]