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De'aaron Fox #4 of the San Antonio Spurs during Game Seven of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center.
The San Antonio Spurs suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the NBA Finals to cap off their 2025-26 season, losing 4-1 to the New York Knicks.
Regardless of the outcome, it was still a remarkable season for the young Spurs, spearheaded by their 22-year-old phenom Victor Wembanyama.
San Antonio has a tantalizing young core that only expects to get better as the years go by, all of which had their own individual moments to shine throughout the NBA Finals.
One member of the Spurs who didn’t have the greatest series, though, was veteran point guard De’Aaron Fox.
The 28-year-old, and oldest member of San Antonio’s starting lineup, had a rough go against New York. He averaged 12.8 points per game on 34% shooting and is now at the center of trade rumors.
Could the Spurs cut ties with Fox this offseason and find a player who could help them avenge their Finals loss?
In a trade idea initially conceived by Fadeaway World’s Fran Leiva, the San Antonio Spurs could put together a package that includes Fox to acquire Cleveland Cavaliers superstar Donovan Mitchell.
San Antonio Spurs Receive: Donovan Mitchell
Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: De’Aaron Fox, Carter Bryant, 2027 first-round pick from Hawks, 2032 first-round pick
While it would be a tough pill for the Spurs to swallow, parting ways with one of the pieces of the aforementioned young core, Carter Bryant and those first-round picks could give way to the exact type of player San Antonio needed in the Finals.
“Mitchell wouldn’t fix every problem. A backcourt with Mitchell, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper would be small in some lineups, and all three need the ball. Still, Mitchell already knows how to play next to another guard. He has spent years sharing possessions and doesn’t need to dominate every second,” wrote Leiva.
“This trade would keep Castle and Harper while replacing Fox with a much better playoff scorer. Mitchell has averaged 28.1 points across his playoff career and has several 40-point postseason games. After watching the offense disappear during important Finals possessions, that type of player has to interest the Spurs.”
It would be a bit of a knee-jerk reaction, selling Fox when his value is at its lowest point. But it may be better for the Spurs in the long run.
Maybe the San Antonio Spurs don’t have to go big game hunting when it comes to finding a trade partner for Fox, but it’s still in their best interest to deal him this summer.
Not only did he struggle in the postseason, but he took away valuable reps from 2025 No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper.
Harper is clearly the future for the Spurs, and at 20 years old, the sky is the limit for the New Jersey native.
Not only that, but Fox’s contract is about to get incredibly expensive.
Last August, the former Sacramento Kings point guard signed a four-year, $221.76 million supermax contract extension with San Antonio that kicks in this summer.
The Spurs will be paying Fox an average annual value of $55.44 million until 2031, and for a team that’s going to have to start extending young stars in the next few years, that’s not a tenable cap situation.
San Antonio should want their young core to continue growing together, and the best way to do that is by removing Fox from the picture.
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