The San Antonio Spurs have given De’Aaron Fox a full max extension, totaling four years and $229 million, underlining their belief that the point guard will be able to return to All-NBA form while functioning as the secondary star next to Victor Wembanyama.
Let’s talk about it.
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The glass half empty perspective
Even through the biggest lens of optimism, this extension comes with risk. Fox isn’t a natural long-range shooter whatsoever, and that’s a not insignificant shortcoming in 2025, especially when the Spurs in particular need to optimize the spacing around Wembanyama.
Furthermore, Fox at 30% of the cap could see his trade value decline in this new era of aprons, where every dollar is squeezed to its full potential, as to avoid being put in financial handcuffs.
There’s also the element of age. Fox is 27, a full six years older than Wembanyama, which means their long-term future as a duo could get, well, a bit messed up.
In Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo spent years being surrounded by older players in the form of Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez. They eventually aged out and became less effective, leaving the Bucks in a situation where they couldn’t replace them, seeing as money was tied up on them, and their trade values were diminishing by the year.
Fox still has some years left before the Spurs have to worry about that, but it’s worth remembering the Bucks example, just for future reference.
The glass half full perspective
While there should be some long-term concerns, from a roster flexibility perspective, with Fox’s extension, it’s crucial to remember that he’s one of the most explosive and dynamic point guards in the NBA.
He’s a career 21.5-point scorer, an athletic blur, and his defensive capabilities were generally underplayed due to the fact that he played in Sacramento for almost eight years.
Fox is also a real point guard, in the sense that he can set the table, run the show, defer when necessary, get certain players involved when they haven’t seen the ball for five possessions in a row, and he’s by all accounts an exceptional locker room presence who has historically been a tremendous communicator.
Not only will those leadership abilities help the Spurs on the floor, but they will also provide recent lottery pick Dylan Harper with a world of insight into what it takes to be a natural floor leader.
Finally, the presence of Fox does provide the Spurs with a high baseline of talent, as they can stagger him and Wembanyama, to make sure there’s an All-Star caliber player on the floor at every possible moment.
The broader perspective
All in all, it’s fair to not like this contract, just as it’s fair to love it. Essentially, it comes down to how much you value financial flexibility and whether you think Fox is a player worthy of such a commitment.
There is a difference between superstars and fringe All-Stars, of which Fox belongs in the latter category with his just one nod, and most teams are keenly aware that paying top dollar for the non-superstar can prove problematic.
It’s also worth considering that the Spurs will also have to hand Wembanyama an extension after the conclusion of next season, one which triggers in 2027.
So, perhaps then, there is a plan in place to utilize the $24 million spent on backup centers this offseason, not to mention Keldon Johnson’s modest salary of $17.5 million, to make a play for something larger as the team nears the trade deadline.
The Fox extension could also be viewed as insurance, should outside teams eventually be willing to fork over assets for him, and view the fact that he’s on the books for so long as an asset in its own right.
Regardless, fairly or unfairly, expectations now lie on Fox to live up to this deal, and to prove he is the guy to help the Spurs level up.
