Dylan Harper’s rapid ascent and De'Andre Fox’s massive $228 million contract have San Antonio weighing a blockbuster trade to maximize Victor Wembanyama’s championship window following a Finals loss.
The San Antonio Spurs are coming off an NBA Finals appearance during which their second-most-recognizable star underperformed.
That is among the reasons that the veteran De'Andre Fox is being discussed as trade fodder.
There are an assortment of "experts'' who insist that the Spurs have no intention of moving Fox, even in the face of the fact that the rapid maturation of rookie point guard Dylan Harper suggests it might be his "turn'' to take over.
ESPN's NBA insider, Brian Windhorst, seems to be leading that charge.
I know there's a lot of interest in whether they might do something with De'Aaron Fox, but they are committed to him right now as their franchise point guard. And I think they will remain that way," Windhorst said on "SportsCenter" on Monday.
Did the Spurs tell Windhorst that, or is this just something he "thinks''?
And even if Spurs officials did whisper that to him, couldn't that mean they're playing possum on the subject?
We know that Fox is a pricy proposition, contract-wise. To wit, Fox’s remaining cap hits:
2026-27: $49,800,000
2027-28: $53,784,000
2028-29: $57,768,000
2029-30: $61,752,000
That's $228.6 million reasons to examine the idea of a change. (And maybe for a bidding team to not want to bother).
In fairness, maybe we shouldn't overreact to the All-Star work in the NBA Finals as he averaging only 12.8 points per game on 34.3-percent shooting from the field, complete with a collection of poor decisions.
But the oddsmakers - who have little interest in "fairness'' or in "sentiment'' - have established some direction here.
The oddsmakers at BetOnline.ag opened odds for Fox’s next team and they think it will be the Minnesota Timberwolves who will end up with the vet.
| De'Aaron Fox Next Team | |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 5/1 |
| Chicago Bulls | 6/1 |
| Orlando Magic | 7/1 |
| Toronto Raptors | 8/1 |
| Detroit Pistons | 9/1 |
| Sacramento Kings | 9/1 |
| Phoenix Suns | 10/1 |
| Golden State Warriors | 12/1 |
| Miami Heat | 12/1 |
| Houston Rockets | 14/1 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | 14/1 |
| Brooklyn Nets | 16/1 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 16/1 |
| Denver Nuggets | 18/1 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 18/1 |
| Utah Jazz | 22/1 |
| Atlanta Hawks | 25/1 |
| Boston Celtics | 25/1 |
| Dallas Mavericks | 25/1 |
| Charlotte Hornets | 28/1 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 33/1 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 33/1 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 40/1 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 40/1 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 40/1 |
| Indiana Pacers | 50/1 |
| New York Knicks | 50/1 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 50/1 |
| Washington Wizards | 50/1 |
The Spurs sit in the driver's seat here. They have Victor Wembanyama and a host of young stars, plus extra draft assets and flexibility. And they employ a good player in Fox.
But the oddsmakers seem to think a change is coming - and one Spurs fans hope fortifies San Antonio's position in that driver's seat.
