When the San Antonio Spurs traded for 2-time All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox in February 2025, they did so believing they had the running mate for center Victor Wembanyama for the next 5 years, at least.
Little did the Spurs know they already had that player on the roster with Stephon Castle, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft, and would add another player of the same caliber 1 year later in Dylan Harper, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft.
Unfortunately for the Spurs, in the middle of that process, they decided to lock down Fox to a long-term deal — a 4-year, $229 million max contract extension that keeps him in San Antonio through the end of the 2029 season.
The problem now is that Castle will need to be paid after the 2026-27 season, and Harper will need to be paid after the 2027-28 season — meaning something’s gotta give eventually.
Both of those deals should, for all intents and purposes, be larger than Fox’s.
The bigger problem? The Spurs haven’t paid Fox a cent yet on his fully guaranteed deal and paid him after he was coming off season-ending surgery on his pinkie finger in 2025.
“De’Aaron Fox’s four-year, $228.6 million extension kicks in next month for the Spurs: 2026-27: $51 million, 2027-28: $55.1 million, 2028-29: $59.2 million, 2029-30: $63.3 million,” NBA reporter Evan Sidery wrote on his official X account on June 4.
Spurs Trying to Win Multiple NBA Titles
Fox hit the biggest shot of his career in an NBA Finals Game 3 win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden to help the Spurs avoid a 3-0 hole — and you can make an argument that if the Spurs get just 1 NBA title out of their time with Fox his deal will be worth it.
If they get multiple titles, forget about it. His contract will have paid for itself.
“If the Spurs win the championship, does it really matter what they’re paying this dude?” former NBA forward Chandler Parsons said on the “Run It Back” podcast on June 9.
Not everywhere was quite as laissez-faire about Fox’s massive contract, even though he’s averaged 21.1 points for his career and is still just 28 years old.
“The De‘Aaron Fox contract looks AWFUL,” NBA reporter Jordan Stocks said. on June 6. “Like truly is terrible. Has looked like the Spurs 4th option this postseason. But he just hit an absolute dagger. Respect.”
Trade Might be Viable Route in Future
In reality, the Spurs hold all the chips in the future, even though it’s clear they can’t have Fox, Harper, and Castle all on the roster together past next season.
The truth is that all 3 players are incredible bargaining chips in any sort of trade — we’re talking about 3 players that almost all 29 other teams might make a play for if they knew the Spurs were open for business.
That trade might actually happen sooner than later.
“DeAaron Fox really making 230 million and can’t even shoot lol .. I see a trade coming this offseason,” DaveOsBeatz wrote on X.
“De‘Aaron Fox is playing so bad (in the Finals) that it may force the Spurs to be the team that comes out of nowhere to flip every future draft pick they have + Fox for Giannis,” Bam Adobobayo wrote on X. “How has he gotten this bad this fast? Harper-Castle-Vassell-Giannis-Wemby.”
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