The San Antonio Spurs extended the Western Conference Finals to Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, winning Game 6 at home with a final score of 118 - 91. This convincing win was despite the underwhelming performance of star guard De'Aaron Fox, who finished with 5 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds, shooting just 1-of-9 from the field in 26 minutes.
The majority of Spurs fans seem eager to build around the up-and-coming backcourt duo of Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle, and rightfully so. They've already proven ready for the playoff spotlight and fit the timeline of 22-year-old superstar Victor Wembanyama significantly better.
Given their backcourt logjam, it makes sense for San Antonio to explore trades for Fox, finding a better roster balance by addressing their wing and frontcourt depth this summer.
Spurs should make De'Aaron Fox available for trade this summer
This conference finals may be pushed to seven games, but so far, the difference-maker in the series has been the Thunder's depth that GM Sam Presti has assembled over the years. Oklahoma City has multiple players who can step up and turn the tide of a game, making them incredibly difficult to beat four times over the span of a seven-game series.
San Antonio is on the verge of pulling the upset, but it's largely been because of their elite defense anchored by the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year in Wembanyama. Following this playoff run, Fox absolutely has to be deemed more expendable.
The Spurs are arguably the most loyal franchise in the league. It's not in their nature to make stars available for trade. But they've also had the luxury of stars who perfectly fit their roster and system, which isn't the case with Fox.
Not only does keeping him around risk stunting the developmental growth of Harper and Castle, but it's also an incredibly expensive redundancy. Fox, 28, is still on the books for four more years, with that annual salary increasing to $61 million in 2029-30. That should be concerning for a young Spurs team that needs to retain and upgrade its young core, especially since it is already overpaying Devin Vassell for multiple seasons.
Fox would immediately solve Blazers' backcourt problems
Portland should try to use that predicament to its advantage to steal Fox. The Blazers' backcourt may currently be a strength, led by veterans Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard. But those windows are rapidly closing, while it remains to be seen whether Scoot Henderson or Shaedon Sharpe have enough consistency to be considered long-term starters going forward.
Portland's long-term building blocks are currently in the frontcourt: Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija, and Donovan Clingan. Adding an established piece like Fox could give this rebuild a massive boost, bridging the gap between their current two-timeline approach that isn't quite panning out.
It remains to be seen whether San Antonio is willing to part ways with Fox, though it seems like the fanbase is more than ready to move on from the polarizing star guard.
Portland needs to at least make a call, as he'd be the perfect piece to help address their backcourt uncertainty and relative lack of star power.
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