De'Aaron Fox's first NBA Finals will not be remembered fondly in San Antonio. But despite a rough series against the New York Knicks, the Spurs have decided their All-Star guard is staying put — even as rookie Dylan Harper's breakout sets up an awkward conversation about who should start.
Fox's production dipped sharply in the postseason. After averaging 18.6 points and 6.2 assists per game in the regular season, those numbers fell to 15.6 points and 6.0 assists in the playoffs, and he made a string of costly decisions during San Antonio's Game 4 collapse, when the Spurs blew a double-digit lead in a series they ultimately lost in five.
The simplest reason Fox isn't going anywhere is financial. His four-year, $229 million extension kicks in next season and runs through 2029-30, when he is due to make $61.7 million — a contract that would be difficult to move a year after signing it. The Spurs are also willing to extend some grace, given Fox played through an ankle injury for much of the spring.
There is a basketball case for keeping him, too. As CBS Sports noted, Fox scored at least 17 points in nine of San Antonio's first 11 playoff games, and "even when his shot wasn't falling in the playoffs ... his pick-and-roll offense was arguably San Antonio's most reliable half-court weapon." Depth at guard, the argument goes, is a luxury over an 82-game season rather than a problem.
The complication is Harper. The No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft appeared in 69 games but started just four, averaging 11.8 points in 22.6 minutes per night. His role grew in the postseason — he started two games, both with Fox sidelined, and logged 31 minutes in the Finals after averaging 26.8 in the playoffs overall.
Teammate Devin Vassell made clear the rookie's frustration was real, but so was his response. "He was upset with playing time and different roles that he was in," Vassell said, "but when we needed him most, he stepped up. We have a star in the making."
According to ESPN, Harper "voiced displeasure" with his role earlier in the season and is expected to push to start. The Spurs, the report said, "remain committed" to Fox as their starting point guard — a stance that drew criticism toward coach Mitch Johnson after Fox received more crunch-time minutes than Harper in Game 1, even as Harper produced a strong Game 5.
San Antonio could simply run all three together. The Spurs deployed a three-guard look with Harper, Stephon Castle and Fox, and if no trade materializes this summer, that may be the cleanest way to keep everyone on the floor and reasonably content. The long-term math is less daunting than it looks: Wembanyama is eligible for a five-year, $251 million extension starting in 2027-28, but Castle's second contract doesn't begin until 2028-29 and Harper's until 2029-30, meaning Fox's deal and Harper's eventual max would overlap for just one season.
That is years away. For now, the Spurs are betting that having three guards of this caliber — and the ability to stagger them around Wembanyama — is a headache worth keeping, even if the player who struggled most in June is the one with the biggest contract.
