The Clippers’ punishment may have created a lane for the Spurs, and De’Aaron Fox sits right in the middle of it.
After Los Angeles was stripped of first-round picks from 2028 through 2033, the franchise suddenly has a much harder path back to contention. If the Clippers want to build through the draft, they’ll need to find another way in - which is where San Antonio could enter the picture. The Spurs own a first-round pick in each of the next seven drafts, giving them the kind of draft capital the Clippers no longer have.
That makes the two teams a potentially useful match, especially if San Antonio ever decides to move Fox. The Spurs haven’t given any sign they’re looking to trade him, but that possibility hovers over the situation anyway. Fox is headed toward a max contract, and San Antonio will also have to pay Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper.
One trade idea that has been floated would send Fox and a 2027 first-round pick via the Atlanta Hawks from the Spurs to the Clippers. In return, San Antonio would get Darius Garland. The concept was first suggested by CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn, and it’s the kind of deal that makes sense on paper for both sides.
For the Clippers, the logic is pretty clear. Even with Los Angeles on the map, they may not be a free-agent magnet any time soon.
A team that can’t lean on the draft or swing major trades with its own picks has a tough pitch to make. If they’re entering a rebuild, taking on Fox’s contract while adding a first-rounder could be the kind of move that starts to fill the cupboard again.
Garland, meanwhile, is not a clean fit either. He’s younger than Fox, but he comes with a shaky injury history, and he didn’t exactly light it up in the 19 games he played last season for Los Angeles. That could leave the Clippers open to moving on if the right offer lands in front of them.
San Antonio would have its own reasons to consider the swap if it ever got that far. Garland could serve as a bridge at point guard until the Spurs are ready to hand the job to Dylan Harper. In that scenario, Fox would be more of a stopgap than a long-term answer.
For now, though, this feels more like a possibility than a plan. San Antonio is unlikely to make a move this big in the current offseason.
If Fox boosts his value in the first half of next season, the Spurs could circle back. Until then, the Clippers will have to get inventive as they try to rebuild, and the Spurs may be one of the few teams positioned to help.
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