The San Antonio Spurs have spent the entire summer being encouraged to trade De'Aaron Fox, but one key thing is holding them back from making a deal.
As soon as confetti started falling and the San Antonio Spurs officially lost the NBA Finals to the New York Knicks, De'Aaron Fox found himself in trade rumors.
The All-Star point guard averaged only a dozen points in the Finals and made multiple questionable decisions throughout the series. Plus, Dylan Harper outplayed him and is clearly ready for the starting job. Immediately, fans started begging the Spurs to trade Fox.
However, the team has remained firm. Heading into next season, Fox will remain the starter, and Harper will continue to come off the bench. There's an argument to be made that the lack of demand is what is preventing a deal from being made, but the reality is a lot simpler: the Spurs still need Fox.
Spurs Don't Have a Reliable Backup
Harper, if he stays on the bench, is the best backup point guard in the entire NBA.
If the Spurs trade Fox away, Harper is elevated to a starting role, but then the Spurs simply don't have any point guard depth. If either Harper or Stephon Castle were to get hurt, then Jordan McLaughlin would have to play a major role. McLaughlin has never averaged over 20 minutes per game in his entire career.
If the Spurs could get back a solid ball-handler in the deal, or at least a young and capable one, then it's a no-brainer. However, taking on Fox's salary is already a massive lift for a would-be trade partner, and expecting them to toss in a solid young asset is simply unrealistic.
Harper and Castle would be one of the best backcourts in the NBA on both ends of the floor, although there wouldn't be any alternative behind them. Sure, McLaughlin could play spot minutes when the starters rest, but in the event that he had to play an entire game, the Spurs would be in trouble.
Right now, with their trio, the Spurs have the most point guard talent of anyone in the league, but they're already wanting for depth. Trading Fox away simply exacerbates the problem.
The Spurs have long said that they don't plan on trading Fox anytime soon. While it's unlikely that he finishes out his contract in San Antonio, there's no reason to think there's any rush to get rid of him.
