De’Aaron Fox smiles outside of a restaraunt in Sacramento, California. Credit: Creative Commons / NewishIdeas

The San Antonio Spurs’ roster is De’Aaron Fox’s preferred landing spot as trade rumors surrounding the 2023 NBA All-Star reach a fever pitch.

Even so, sports analysts caution that a trade for the Sacramento Kings point guard would likely cost the Spurs a large number of fan-favorite players.

On Wednesday, ESPN’s Shams Charania said that although neither Fox nor his agent, Clutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, would explicitly confirm that he wants to play for the Spurs, other reliable league sources say the player sees it as San Antonio or bust.

“He’s been unwilling to me to confirm,” Charania said Wednesday during ESPN’s First Take. “But league sources tell me that the San Antonio Spurs are De’Aaron Fox’s preferred destination.”

Charania’s comments came hours after the Sacramento Kings confirmed that they are open to trade talks involving Fox.

Fox would be a considerable addition to the Spurs, who have waded near the bottom of the Western Conference in the seasons since the team won its fifth NBA Championship in 2014. The point guard is averaging a well-rounded 25 points, six assists and five rebounds per game this season.

As San Antonio fans salivate at the prospect of the team rocketing into relevancy again, it would likely take a lot of assets to land Fox.

Sacramento Bee sports reporter Jason Anderson speculates that the Kings’ front office “will expect a big haul for Fox, who is entering his prime as one of the the best young point guards in the league.”

According to Anderson, the Spurs could have to trade Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell, Stephon Castle and multiple draft picks if they want Fox.

While rumors swirl, Spurs interim head coach Mitch Johnson told the Express-News Wednesday that he and his team remained focused on picking up wins.

“At the end of the day, we are in the business of winning games, and we got a great group of guys, and we’re just trying to get better and win some of these tough games,” Johnson said.

The Spurs have until 2 p.m. Central Time Feb. 6, the end of the league’s trade deadline, to make a move for Fox.

Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.

Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter| Or sign up for our RSS Feed

Related Stories

This article appears in Jan 22 – Feb 4, 2025.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...