A De’Aaron Fox trade seemed imminent after the San Antonio Spurs collapsed in the 2026 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks, but that rumor has been shut down. The Spurs’ General Manager, Brian Wright, has made it clear that Fox is valuable to the team and has no intention of trading him. Fans have to remember that he was playing through a severe high right ankle sprain. This caused him to play through heavy discomfort and pain management for the remainder of the playoffs. Keeping him on the roster might not be a bad move, but is it the right decision?
Fox finished the Finals with averages of 12.8 points, three rebounds, and six assists per game on 34.3% shooting from the field. Those stats are definitely not the type of production that he’s being paid to provide. He’s signed through 2030, carrying a salary of $49.5 million for the 2026–27 season as part of his four-year, $229 million extension. This isn’t an easy contract to move, especially after a playoff run where he didn’t look like himself.
Keeping Fox on the books doesn’t hurt San Antonio financially too much, as Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper remain on affordable rookie contracts. The front office is making the right choice by bringing him back because it allows Fox to regain his value if the Spurs do decide to trade him. His trade market would be low right now, but a season of healthy basketball could change that fast. This decision also allows players like Castle and Harper to develop on their own timelines, and as we’ve seen so far, they’re showing great potential.
Not to mention, Fox is one of the older guys on the roster, at 28 years old, which is vital for a young team like San Antonio to calm them down in moments of adversity. The Spurs finished the season with a 62-20 record, and with the addition of Tobias Harris in free agency, their record could be even better this season. Once Castle’s rookie extension kicks in during the 2028-29 season, Fox will most likely be off the roster by that point, but until then, he’s a great veteran presence to learn from. Fox averaged 18.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game in the 2025-26 season, which included an All-Star appearance.
San Antonio mustn’t move off him too soon and end up getting back assets or a player who is not worth the value of Fox. He can still provide for the Spurs, and after an offseason of healing his injury, they should be getting back the player they signed to that massive extension. The NBA world knows what he’s capable of, as he’s shown it all these years on the Sacramento Kings; now it’s just about getting his confidence back. Hopefully his Finals performance doesn’t get to his head and affect him in the upcoming season because San Antonio can’t afford that to happen.
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Many thought that after a poor showing in the Finals, and some questionable decision-making from Fox, it would lead to him being moved, but the Spurs are buying in. They would probably love to get off his huge contract, but it’s just not that easy, so they’re better off keeping him; after all, they were three wins away from a championship. It’s the right move for now, but don’t be surprised if they end up shopping him at the trade deadline if there’s a player they want who becomes available.
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