The Spurs and point guard De’Aaron Fox have agreed to terms on a four-year, maximum-salary extension, agent Rich Paul tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Fox will earn just over $37MM in the final year of his current contract, with his new deal taking effect next July and running through 2029/30. It will feature a starting salary worth 30% of the ’26/27 cap.
Based on the NBA’s latest projection of a 7% increase, Fox’s four-year contract would be worth a total of $222.4MM over four seasons. If the cap rises by the maximum allowable 10% next year, the value of Fox’s deal would be $228.6MM. The contract doesn’t include a fourth-year player option or a trade kicker, notes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
The fifth overall pick in 2017, Fox spent his first seven-and-a-half NBA seasons in Sacramento, where he quickly established himself as the Kings’ starting point guard and a rising star. Fox’s best season came in 2022/23, when he earned his first All-Star berth, made the All-NBA third team, and was named Clutch Player of the Year after averaging 25.0 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game for a Kings team that won 48 games.
However, as Fox neared the end of the rookie scale extension he signed in 2020, he was hesitant to finalize another contract with the Kings, expressing reservations about the team’s ability to contend for a championship.
Word broke in late January that the Kings – having received no indications from Fox that he had interest in a long-term deal – were expected to entertain trading him and that San Antonio was his preferred landing spot. Less than a week later, the 27-year-old was dealt to the Spurs in a blockbuster three-team trade that sent Zach LaVine from Chicago to Sacramento.
Fox got off to a slow start in San Antonio — his 19.7 points per game and his shooting averages of 44.6% from the floor and 27.4% on three-pointers in his first 17 outings as a Spur were well below his career averages, and he underwent season-ending surgery to address a finger injury in March.
Given the emergence of Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle and the fact that the Spurs’ draft-lottery luck allowed them to select Dylan Harper with the second overall pick in June, there was some speculation that a maximum-salary extension for Fox wouldn’t be as automatic as it seemed back in February.
However, the Spurs moved forward with Fox’s new deal just about as soon as they were eligible to do so. Sunday marked six months since Fox was traded to San Antonio, meaning the restrictions limiting the years, first-year salary, and annual raises he could receive on a veteran extension had lifted. A day later, he and the Spurs have reached an agreement on a new contract.
Based on a 7% cap increase for 2026/27, the year-by-year breakdown for Fox’s extension is as follows:
- 2026/27: $49,641,600
- 2027/28: $53,612,928
- 2028/29: $57,584,256
- 2029/30: $61,555,584
- Total: $222,394,368
While Fox’s deal may be the last major piece of extension-related business for the Spurs this offseason, the team figures to continue investing heavily in its core in the years to come. Star big man Victor Wembanyama will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in 2026, with Castle becoming eligible for a rookie scale extension of his own in 2027.
This is hilarious
This will age like milk, I feel it in my bones. Spurs fans, did they have to do this and was there any urgency?
Contract pocket watching is so corny. Who cares. It literally doesn’t matter. If it were up to you all players would make minimum wage, as you think literally all contracts are bad as long as they are high wage, right?
Literally every time a large contract is singed the first person in always is a person criticizing it. But it literally doesn’t matter, everyone’s idea of value vs production on and off the court (yes off the court matters here too, a factor none of you ever consider) is different. You know what you get with Fox, who played a whopping 5 games with Wemby.
I feel like a lot of this has to do with the word “max” being thrown around, and maybe these criticizers are all from MLB or something? MLB fans are notoriously conservative and critical of player salary in the most delusional way that only ever leads back to the billionaire team owner making more money by not paying players.
Davey you misunderstand me, I don’t know much about the situation and I’m not trying to make any smug declarations. That’s why I asked why now and what was creating urgency. But go off.
I do admit it being max is giant red flag, but that’s because of the injury and new CBA more than generalization. The only practical way to create surplus value on a max contract is playing bonkers basketball. Not the word that comes to mind when I think of Fox’s game. And I’d say that about 95% of the league, its not hate.
The word “max” isn’t a red flag, at all.
It definitely is a triggering word for conservative sports fans who think the money comes out of their wallets though!
Ahahahahah I just read the rest of your comment. Sprinkle in a couple more uses of “literally” and you might be on to something Dave
It’s a horrible move for this thing called a salary cap Lamey J. It’s a small window to when they will have to pay Wemby and hamstring the rest of the roster.
There may have been a handshake deal in place when they made the trade for Fox. Of course, I think most of us were hoping that any handshake deal would still come in a bit below the full max, which obviously isn’t what happened. But if that was part of the deal to acquire him, it is what it is. And even with Wemby in tow, it’s not easy to acquire a star player who actually wants to be in SA.
Still can’t say I feel great about paying a second-tier star this kind of money in the current CBA environment but, as is the case with all contenders/hopeful contenders, if you can produce the goods in the window that you have a lot of ills can be forgiven. And there’s no question this roster has a lot of latent talent. Sometimes the enemy of the good is the perfect. But the pressure to win is now officially on.
I suppose the first iteration of this plan is to try and win with the current core (Wemby Fox, Vassell) supported by the cheap rookie deals. Eventually those rookies will need to be paid (assuming they pan out), by which point Vassell and/or Fox will be let go or traded on expirings. Or maybe none of that happens because I have no idea what I’m talking about lol.
No I think you got it. If things go south all those contracts are probably movable.
Thanks! I should’ve also mentioned the future draft capital the Spurs possess, including a couple of potentially lucrative 1st swaps and a bunch of extra 2nds. So they definitely still have some flexibility moving forward. And all of those little things add up once you would have committed to the big contracts.
Well he was due for an extension and they was a big part of why Sacramento shipped him out. So I assume there was some kind of understanding that whoever traded for him was doing so with the intent to extend, not for a trial run
I think this contract will be fine. He is a “max” worthy player. He will be 31 going into the final year, so he should play at a high level throughout the contract. If castle and Harper prove to be better players, they can always trade Fox. Teams are always looking for stud pgs
$55M/yr for basically anyone these days. He’s good but not that good.
His 3pt% would scare me a little lol
I think they are paying for him to hit them during critcal moments… but yeah, I hope he lives up to this price tag. Castle is legit and we’ll see how Harper develops before we know how good of an idea this extension is.
I believe fox does not complement victor game . But I might be wrong time will tell. BTW I believe fix is a great player .
Maybe not, but his ability to penetrate does open up a lot offensively even if the shooting leaves something to be desired. Just wish he were a better playmaker.
Watching a game or two with them together. Wemby is such a monster on the O boards. Fox just getting to the hoop and throwing it up on the rim is playmaking.
And with that, the Fox Contract Extension topic has come to an end. I think media talking heads were ready to talk about this all season long lol.
Bit rich and strange timimg as they could have gotten a test drive first and made this same deal at the All Star break
Im guessing this deal was already wink winked on months ago and SAS stayed true to its word. The No trade kicker or player option year 4 helps
They have plenty of draft capital and no bad long money…. good chance he;s parceled at some point which takes the sting a little outta the lofty number
Still higher than I Imagined tho
The absolute numbers sound high, but looking at it in terms of percentage I don’t think it is as high. Fox on the 30% max is fine to me.
Especially when you consider that spurs top guys are all on rookie deals for the next couple/few years. In an ideal world maybe you get him at a little less but as you pointed out they got a couple team friendly items in the deal. I would have inked it if I were SA.
Wemby gets his bag next year.
Yea I think having the extra draft capital behind helps quiet a bit as well
Like calling an ALL In bet on a flush draw when your wallets flush for a re-buy
If that uber athletic type wing like Jaylen Brown making 60+ Mill ever did hit the market this salary probably becomes the ballast. Might cost ya and extra 1st but better than including lower depth salaries depleting your depth.
If you dont have that re-buy in your pocket this contract could be a little scary
For a guy who wanted a trade to SA, and told everyone who would listen that he wanted to stay in SA long term, giving Fox a max seems like an unnecessary overpay.
Sam Presti understood the unique value of being able to pay (or overpay) good complementary pieces when you still have your best players on cheap early deals. Many people would have looked at Hartenstein as a massive overpay, but with Chet and J will on rookie deals, you do it now and figure out the cap gymnastics later.
I think Orlando is trying for the same idea, while Paolos extension hasn’t hit yet, so pay Bane now. Time will tell if that’s a good move but I think it’s an approach you may see more often.
Also there are only so many NBA 1st teams. If you’re a small market team like San Antonio trying to nickel and dime guys, you’re just going to end up with nobody. 1 team would certainly have been willing to pay Fox in free agency. Not like a better PG is coming free AND rushing to San Antonio in the next couple years of Wembys development.
I am curious if they would have done this now if Luka was still a possibility for that off season but “bird in the hands” as they say
*NBA 1st teamers
Traded in 2 years if Harper is who they say he is. Fox wouldn’t be paid like this to come off bench. Castle is good and getting better, he won’t come off bench either.
That’s certainly an option – but let’s just see how it all plays out.
@ancientone Nothing wrong with that in my view. In fact that timing would be perfect for San Antonio
I’ll give you Zach LaVine straight up. Final offer
There was never a doubt that this was coming. He was the best available option to run w Wemby and with Paul gone he can actually run the show. This is what a guy with his numbers makes in today’s NBA. It’s not complicated.
The only question is whether they would have made the trade had they known they’d get Harper, but there’s really no point in debating that.
Sound take, this is the best one in this thread.