The flashy De’Aaron Fox linking up with a pure talent like Victor Wembanyama? Sign me up. This duo was supposed to light up the court for the Spurs, but it’s a shame we saw the duo for just five games. Both had injury issues of their own. Wemby had a life-threatening deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, a condition discovered shortly after the All-Star Game. “The clot could have traveled to his lungs and killed him.” Dr. Brian Sutterer, a sports medicine specialist, had said regarding the injury. 

But he has recovered since and is “feeling good” for the next season. On the other hand, Fox had to undergo surgery on a torn tendon in his left pinkie, an injury he had been managing since training camp. It also seemed the two wouldn’t be seen playing together next season, as both Fox and the Spurs were stuck in a delicate situation.

The Spurs are in a complete rebuild. Their future is hedged around the talents of Wembanyama, and they have pressed on their youth movement by bringing in Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle. Now, would Fox fit into their plans, especially considering the cost?

Turns out the answer is yes, as according to multiple reports, Fox and the Spurs have agreed to a four-year, $229 million extension that will run through the 2029-30 season without any options. averaged 23.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 6.3 assists in 2024–25 and was seen as the chosen pick-and-roll partner for Wembanyama, unfortunately, that did not materialise. 

Considering the talents they secured in Harper and Castle, who align better with their youth revolution. Fox, being 28, did not fit the bill as a similar kind of player to those two. But the Spurs have punted on this flashy dynamic playmaker. While Fox has secured the bag, the fans are not happy with what it took to secure his signature, bringing his “superstar” status into question.

Fans Slam Spurs’ Franchise-Altering De’Aaron Fox Deal

Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley published a list of players he considers overrated, and lo and behold, we had the newly supermaxed signee De’Aaron Fox listed at number five. Buckley wrote, “Public perception tends to regard him as a first- or second-tier floor general, but functionally, he’s more like a 6’3″ scoring guard. With a shaky outside shot. And less-than-elite passing vision. And defensive impact that falls way short of what his physical tools make you think he’d deliver.” And now, as it is raining money on the ball-heavy guard, those flaws have come into the microscope.

One fan questioned the payment writing,  “Major over pay, he’s not even worth 100Mil. No disrespect at all, but Fox isn’t a superstar.” The “not a superstar” allegations mainly stem from the fact that he was unable to make a single playoff push in his 8 years at the Sacramento Kings. Before using the box plus/minus to label him as “closer to being a good player than a great one.” His obvious flaws throw the supermax money in question as he is only 1-time NBA All-Star, and it’s doubtful whether he can change games, which are worth the money they are paying him. 

Another fan pointed out the future implications regarding this deal writing, “Should have been in the 4/170 range. Pretty big overpay, and I bet they have trouble moving him when the time comes.” Fox is turning 28 in December, which is not too old, but not very young like Harper, Wemby, and Castle. They do have all the prime years of Fox to themselves, but if he does not live up to that price tag, this contract may as well be a burden. Like the fan suggests, a four-year, $170 million deal, which comes to $42.5 million per year, would have slotted Fox right among the lower end of the top superstars. 

It wouldn’t have confused him with MVP candidates, but it also wouldn’t have disrespected his talent by putting him below lesser players in the league. Among those MVP candidates is Luka Doncic, who recently moved from the Dallas Mavericks to partner up with LeBron James at the Los Angeles Lakers. 

This fan pointed out that Doncic earns less than what Fox will, writing, “Luka got less then fox smh.” Doncic, a five-time All-NBA player widely regarded as a perennial MVP candidate, recently agreed to a three-year, $165 million maximum contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, which is dwarfed by Fox’s $229 million. By nearly every statistical measure, Doncic leaves Fox in the dust, making the Spurs’ massive payout for Fox look even more like an overreach. 

Another fan echoed the same sentiment, writing, “Waste of money.”  This sentiment is mainly from his 17 injury-riddled games with the Spurs after being traded. There is a big but as he wasn’t healthy in his 17 games with the Spurs and had to play without Wemby in 12 of them, and next to Chris Paul in all of them. With two floor generals on the court, both had to make way for the other, leading to a reduced impact for Fox. So, there is a world where Fox justifies this cost, and the fans never bring this contract up again. The Spurs have bet heavily on Fox to anchor this young side, but the question remains if it will pay off.