De'Aaron Fox is not close to playing his last game with the San Antonio Spurs, although he might be closer than he'd like to admit.

Last season, the Spurs traded multiple first-round picks and salary filler to the Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls, landing Fox. The All-Star point guard was expected to take over as Victor Wembanyama's running mate for the long term, paired in the backcourt with Stephon Castle.

So far, the partnership has been fruitful, although Fox's finger injury and Wemby's blood clots last season ended a promising campaign, and the Spurs wound up in the draft lottery.

There, they picked Dylan Harper second overall, an elite guard prospect. The same summer, they signed Fox to a maximum extension. The prevailing prediction is that the Spurs will eventually trade Fox, letting Harper take over.

The Spurs recently gave some insight as to where they stand on the matter.

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The argument for trading Fox (eventually) is perfectly clear: Harper is going to take over the backcourt sooner rather than later, and the Spurs should land as much value as possible for Fox.

"There’s already league-wide chatter about how his time here might be cut short," wrote The Athletic's Sam Amick, sharing common knowledge. "The assertion, shared by rival executives and media folks alike, is that rookie guard Dylan Harper (the No. 2 pick in last year’s draft) is simply too good to come off the bench for long and will eventually need to start alongside second-year guard Stephon Castle (the No. 4 pick in 2024). And because of the cost considerations — Fox signed a four-year, $229 million deal in August — that sort of development would force tough conversations about whether Fox could remain part of the future if he was coming off the bench."

However, the Spurs have a rich history of asking elite players to come off the bench. Manu Ginobili stands out. Amick pointed to discussions had with members of the Spurs' front office:

"To hear [the Spurs] tell it, this is the beginning of a long relationship between Fox and the Spurs that they hope leads to multiple championships. And, more specifically, they hope Fox enjoys the sort of sustainable, stable experience that he never had with the Kings."

Would Fox agree to come off the bench? Well, after the way his career started in Sacramento, he should understand that winning often takes sacrifice. He'll be getting paid handsomely for his services, would likely win at least one ring, and would play a massive role, even if he got booted from the starting lineup.

The Spurs can point to Ginobili, who still has a role with the team. Why go somewhere else and lead a mediocre team when you can be loved by fans and build a real, winning legacy?

The options on the table for the Spurs go a lot deeper than just trading Fox when Harper passes him up, and San Antonio is expected to do right by their trade deadline prize.