De'Aaron Fox will prove to be a franchise-changing addition for the San Antonio Spurs.
The San Antonio Spurs knew that they would eventually have to find a franchise point guard to pair with second-year sensation Victor Wembanyama. That opportunity presented itself when the Sacramento Kings made De'Aaron Fox available on the market and Spurs general manager Brian Wright stepped in and took full advantage. The organization has envisioned the type of point guard that they wanted to pair with Wembanyama, and Fox should prove to be a perfect fit. This is also a homecoming of sorts for Fox as he is a Houston, Texas native and attended Cypress Lakes High School in Katy, Texas.
The Spurs signed veteran point guard Chris Paul during the offseason and what better player to help mentor Wembanyama? Even though acquiring Paul was a genius move, he is 39 years old and has been injury-prone at the most inopportune times during his Hall of Fame career. With Fox now in the fold, the Spurs could use Paul to help facilitate the growth and chemistry between Wembanyama and Fox in an attempt to get this star duo on the same page as quickly as possible.
Although Fox is truly considered a "superstar" by NBA standards, he is an all-star caliber player and a major upgrade at the position over any other player they had at the position over the years, but the Spurs don't need him to be anything more than what he already is. Fox is walking into a beautiful situation as he gets to play alongside a generational talent, gets coached up by a legend, and has one of the greatest of all time in Paul at his disposal. When Wright pulled the trigger on this blockbuster deal, he had to have the idea of helping the team's current situation while preserving the future at the same time.
The Spurs are currently 12th in the West and there exists a slim chance that they could qualify for the Play-In Tournament if they are able to turn things around in the second half of the season. Even if they fail to qualify for the playoffs, the Spurs are now set up for long-term success and we all have seen what Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich can accomplish when he has the right players for his system. The Spurs don't have any notable free agents who would be a priority to keep on the roster. On top of that, the Spurs own two first-round picks in a draft that will be flooded with talented prospects.
The acquisition of Fox is likely the beginning and could set the stage for multiple deep playoff runs in the coming years. The Spurs organization is doing all the right things and moving with a true sense of urgency while building around Wembanyama. The Spurs front office has a history of building through the draft, especially due to the fact that San Antonio is not considered a favored destination for free agents.
The combination of Wemby and Fox could develop into something special
The duo of Fox and Wembanyama could work out just fine since Fox doesn't have the pressure of being the first option on this team. The biggest flaw Fox has is that he isn't a consistent defender, but playing behind the NBA leader in blocked shots could make up for any defensive deficiencies that are exposed.
Besides his defense, Fox is smart, and competitive and will deliver in clutch moments if the opportunity presents itself. Although Wembanyama can shoot the three-pointer very efficiently, he will have to get more comfortable in the paint and rely less on shooting from behind the arc. If Wembanyama can get himself into the paint on offense by being there for lobs and putbacks instead of being the most frequent three-point shooter on the floor, it would allow his teammates plenty of open looks on the perimeter.
With Fox running the offense, the pick-and-roll with Wembanyama would be difficult for any opponent to contain. Fox is top 15 in points per game scored when operating out of the pick-and-roll. Fox could be better suited due to his ability to read, react, and score. With Paul's tutoring and guidance, Fox could thrive in his role as the starting point guard. It shouldn't be a surprise to see Fox begin to put up huge numbers as Paul's presence has done wonders for the careers of Devin Booker and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander when he shared a backcourt with those players.
This trade could be just what the Spurs need to finally break through and begin gaining back their contender status and start trying to add to the collection of championship banners hanging from the rafters in the Frost Bank Center.