The San Antonio Spurs magical 2025-26 campaign has come to an end, as the team was defeated by the New York Knicks in five games in the 2026 NBA Finals. There’s no doubt that the Spurs will be a great team for years to come, but the Knicks showed them time and again throughout this series that they simply were not ready for the spotlight.
San Antonio had several issues flare up throughout this series, but one of the more concerning trends was the play of star guard De’Aaron Fox. While he was admittedly battling an ankle injury, Fox’s play throughout this series was concerningly bad, leading to questions about his future with the Spurs quickly emerging in the wake of the 2026 Finals. And yet, while rumors are suggesting San Antonio wants to move on from Fox, it doesn’t sound like that will be happening.
Spurs Reportedly Remain Committed to De’Aaron Fox
Fox was brought in by the Spurs to be Victor Wembanyama’s running mate, and for much of the season, he was. While he wasn’t required to do as much as he had to do during his previous stint with the Sacramento Kings, Fox earned the second All-Star selection of his career and generally did what he needed to in order to keep the Spurs’ offense running smoothly (18.6 PPG, 6.2 APG, 3.8 RPG, 48.6 FG%).
In the playoffs, though, Fox was thoroughly outplayed by both Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. Against the Knicks, Fox was particularly awful, as his numbers dropped significantly (12.8 PPG, 6 APG, 3 RPG, 34.3 FG%) and he made a crucial mistake at the end of Game 4 (opting to take a layup that got blocked rather than bleeding time on the clock) that drastically shifted the momentum of this series.
Add in the fact that several of his teammates have taken veiled shots at Fox, and his decision to unfollow the Spurs on social media, and it’s not too hard to see why folks think his time with the team is up. Despite all that, NBA insider Brian Windhorst shot down the notion that San Antonio will be looking to unload Fox, instead saying the team remains committed to him as the leader of its backcourt.
“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,” said Brian Windhorst on “SportsCenter.” “And I think they will remain that way.”
What Should the Spurs Do with De’Aaron Fox?
GettyDe’Aaron Fox
The main roadblock when it comes to moving Fox is the four-year, $228.6 million contract extension he signed last offseason. Even if the Spurs wanted to move on from Fox, doing so would be difficult, especially after the performance he just put up in the playoffs. Letting Castle and Harper grow alongside Wembanyama makes a lot of sense, but it just may not be feasible right now.
For now, it seems like San Antonio is stuck with Fox, regardless of whether or not it actually wants to get rid of him. The hope is that a healthy Fox can enjoy a bounce-back campaign next year, but if he doesn’t, the team may have no choice but to reduce his role in favor of Castle and Harper, which would quickly make him a very expensive reserve player.
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