De'Aaron Fox Rumors Suggest a Possible Trade to The Spurs

[Spursfanfromafar]

Fox and Castle are a really poor fit to be paired in a backcourt. Fox is a ball dominant player and Castle isn't at all an off ball player because he isn't a good shooter. In a team with Fox and Wembanayama, Castle will be forced to play a role where he will struggle. Lowering Fox touches to let Castle shine isn't a good option because Fox himself isn't a good shooter.

A proper setup for Castle to flourish would be to either be paired with a SG like last year Vassell or to paired with a low usage and good shooting PG.

To me, if Spurs get Fox, they can't really keep Castle.

I agree. But I also think Castle is a rookie and needs to develop his shot.. so the Spurs can bear with him going through the paces till he gets there, which I think is likely considering he has a decent FT stroke. And that also means that the Spurs can't afford to lose Vassell. Which means that the Spurs have to offer Keldon plus Tre and picks or a long shot trade such as the one John Hollinger suggests -

From The Athletic trade blog -

If you’re looking for ways for De’Aaron Fox to end up in San Antonio, keep an eye on Detroit.

The Pistons are set up both roster-wise and cap-wise to take on a likely key element in any Fox deal, the $18 million contract of Harrison Barnes. Remember, because Sacramento traded Barnes to the Spurs this past offseason, he cannot be reacquiring by the Kings directly in a trade with the Spurs until after the season.
However, that restriction goes away if Barnes goes to a third team … such as the Pistons. Detroit is the league’s only team with practical cap space, operating $14 million below the cap, but have had disappointing results at the 4 from free-agent acquisition Tobias Harris.
Barnes makes $18 million this season and $19 million in 2025-26, but the Pistons can fit him by sending out at least $4 million in fungible salary to the Kings or Spurs in a three-way trade. By sending a reserve such as Simone Fontecchio to San Antonio ($7.7 million this year, $8.3 million in 2025-26), Detroit could take the Barnes contact into its cap room.
Solving for the Barnes issue would make the rest of a trade negotiation come together more easily, with luxury tax consideration out of the way for the Kings and draft compensation the key talking point. The Spurs could add Tre Jones to get the Kings through the season at point guard, and would only need a bit more salary on top of that to have the required salary match. (One note for my loyal readers: Paul Reed cannot be in this trade, sadly, because the Kings could really use him).
By not taking back Barnes, meanwhile, plus taking Jones’s $9.9 million salary into their unused non-taxpayer mid-level exception, and taking one or two other players into their three other trade exceptions (such as such as Detroit's Wendell Moore or San Antonio's Malaki Branham) the Kings would end up generating a $34.8 million trade exception for Fox that they could take into the offseason."

[poopbox]

I agree. But I also think Castle is a rookie and needs to develop his shot.. so the Spurs can bear with him going through the paces till he gets there, which I think is likely considering he has a decent FT stroke. And that also means that the Spurs can't afford to lose Vassell. Which means that the Spurs have to offer Keldon plus Tre and picks or a long shot trade such as the one John Hollinger suggests -

From The Athletic trade blog -

The problem is...there's a higher percentage chance that he doesn't develop his shot than there is that he does. If you just look at rookie guards who come in and shoot below 30% from 3 their rookie year like Castle... the overwhelming majority of them 4 years later don't even get up to 33% made. Castle would have to be a real outlier for his shooting to get up to where we would need it to be if he stays here and we get Fox, and he would need to probably be an above average catch and shoot player, which is getting into the high 30's range for 3's. Not sure it's realistic for a guy to make it their when he is starting at 25%. That's borderline "I can't shoot at all" territory.

[poopbox]

no, because according to Kings fans he's been checked out and only turned it on in the 4th occassionally. That means there is a whole nother gear there. Besides that, they were mostly coached by Mike Brown who's an idiotic Pop protégé and Fox played in line ups with Sabonis and DeRozan who both can't defend nor shoot 3s. He's also the best player on that team, not the 2nd option and plays with an injured hand. You're probably seeing 70% of what he's capable off right now.

Funny thing is Fox still seems to like Mike and I have a feeling that if he does end up here...Pop stops coaching and Mike is the new coach

[z0sa]

If only we could pull this off without losing Vassell. I don’t see it though

[RC_Drunkford]

Fox and Castle are a really poor fit to be paired in a backcourt. Fox is a ball dominant player and Castle isn't at all an off ball player because he isn't a good shooter. In a team with Fox and Wembanayama, Castle will be forced to play a role where he will struggle. Lowering Fox touches to let Castle shine isn't a good option because Fox himself isn't a good shooter.

A proper setup for Castle to flourish would be to either be paired with a SG like last year Vassell or to paired with a low usage and good shooting PG.

To me, if Spurs get Fox, they can't really keep Castle.

not an ideal fit if Castle doesn't develop a shot, but I wouldn't call Fox ball dominant. He plays on a team with Sabonis and DeRozan. He can absolutely play off the ball and it would up his percentages.

[Seventyniner]

If it's a choice between Fox and Castle, Fox is the boat and Castle is the mystery box that might have a boat in it.

[WaywardTexan]

Without Chinook's input this thread has little to offer. Anyone heard from him?

[Dejounte]

If it's a choice between Fox and Castle, Fox is the boat and Castle is the mystery box that might have a boat in it.

People love the thrill of the unknown. It’s like a gambling addiction. Ask the Forever Tank Crew.

[LeBowen]

The problem is...there's a higher percentage chance that he doesn't develop his shot than there is that he does. If you just look at rookie guards who come in and shoot below 30% from 3 their rookie year like Castle... the overwhelming majority of them 4 years later don't even get up to 33% made. Castle would have to be a real outlier for his shooting to get up to where we would need it to be if he stays here and we get Fox, and he would need to probably be an above average catch and shoot player, which is getting into the high 30's range for 3's. Not sure it's realistic for a guy to make it their when he is starting at 25%. That's borderline "I can't shoot at all" territory.

Noone is saying that Castle will become a great shooter, but he'll surely improve.
And he's way ahead of some players that made big improvements.
Castle is at 26% on 3.8 attempts right now, DJ was at 26% on 0.4 attempts in his second year. That's a huge difference.

For me the issue isn't about Castle alone, but Castle/Jeremy duo.
It won't work if we trade for Fox without losing either.

Fox/Champ/Barnes with one of Castle or Jeremy is a fine perimeter lineup. It's just that both of them can't play together.
We can talk about wanting Wemby to play inside all we want, but it's not going to happen. He's going to play like a modern big and not a post player.
The dual playmaker theory with Castle/Fox attacking the paint works well in this case if we have three shooters around them.

Fox is arguably the fastest player in the league and an elite finisher.
Wemby is already making it impossible for bigs not to step out, duo with Fox would be unstoppable.

Fox is at 66% at 0-5ft this season on 202 attempts. That's while playing with the likes of Sabonis and Demar that provide no spacing.
62% of those makes were unassisted. He gets to the rim at will.

If we expand it to 0-14 ft, he's at 56% on 481 attempts.
70% of all his made shots inside the paint are unassisted.

Then you look at how our offense grinds to a halt because Castle and somewhat Keldon are the only players who can consistently get to the rim, with both of them being questionable finishers.
Our spacing isn't that horrible, it's just that often we take bad 3pts because we can't collapse the defense and the entire perimeter is covered.
We're 6th in 3pta and 13th in makes. Not great, but acceptable.
On the other hand, we're 25th in points in the paint.

[vy65]

Fox and Castle are a really poor fit to be paired in a backcourt. Fox is a ball dominant player and Castle isn't at all an off ball player because he isn't a good shooter. In a team with Fox and Wembanayama, Castle will be forced to play a role where he will struggle. Lowering Fox touches to let Castle shine isn't a good option because Fox himself isn't a good shooter.

A proper setup for Castle to flourish would be to either be paired with a SG like last year Vassell or to paired with a low usage and good shooting PG.

To me, if Spurs get Fox, they can't really keep Castle.

But how is that any different than when Castle was starting with CP3? Don’t fox and CP3 have similar offensive profiles in terms of game style?

[SpursBills]

Does anyone have Fox’s spot up numbers? Would be nice to see if he’s actually a mediocre shooter or whether he just has a difficult shot diet

[LeBowen]

Does anyone have Fox’s spot up numbers? Would be nice to see if he’s actually a mediocre shooter or whether he just has a difficult shot diet

https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1628368/shots-dash

https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1628368/shooting

He's not a great 3pt shooter, his c&s and pull up stats are identical, around 33%.
And almost all of his 3pt shots are above the break.

There are some interesting stats in there.

[Spursfanfromafar]

Does anyone have Fox’s spot up numbers? Would be nice to see if he’s actually a mediocre shooter or whether he just has a difficult shot diet

From 3 (nba.com), catch and shoot numbers:
3FG Frequency, 3PM, 3PA, 3P%

15.7

, 1.0,

3.1,

32.5

[Mitch Cumsteen]

I'm not attached to anybody on the current roster beyond Vic and Castle. The picks are going to be what makes or breaks the deal. I think the picks are more important long term when you look down the road and Vic is supermaxed and how are you going to fill out the roster and stay away from the apron? We know this franchise isn't going there, so those picks have value not only as young developmental guys for cheap but as trade chips for role player vets on team friendly deals. Look at how handcuffed the Nuggets and Bucks are? It would kill me to watch Wemby in his prime playing on a team with zero depth.

[RC_Drunkford]

We don’t have any first round picks besides our own and Minnie‘s 20131 when Wemby signs the max

[DesignatedT]

Way too early to come to some sort of concrete conclusion about who and what type of player Castle will ultimately be or who fits next to him on the court long term. He just turned 20. There's tons of examples of players not truly hitting their stride until Years 3 or 4. Castle has shown all star talent though and is clearly a superior basketball player compared to Vassell to anyone who is actually watching. No problem getting rid of Vassell in a deal but I wouldn't want to move Castle.

[Spurminator]

Seriously. trading castle with his potential and him being a rookie would be a huge mistake. Again, we have enough assets to make this trade without him.

Not if the Kings insist on Castle being included. No one's saying they prefer Castle to be included in the trade, but if that's the deal breaker, I'm taking it.

[Atl Spur]

They aren’t trading castle…. Anyone advocating that is too shortsighted and really don’t know basketball. It is my belief, if you know about a San Antonio trade there is no San Antonio trade. However, we shall see…

[spurraider21]

The worst part is people thinking there will be a worthwhile star that will become available via trade AND be drama-free

And can be had without giving up a player we liked

even the old man agreed to trade his pet George Hill

[poopbox]

KD will be available this offseason. I’d rather go for him. I’d love for Hou to trade for Fox seeing as they are our biggest compe ors to get KD. Maybe we get KD and Hou gets Booker and Phoenix does an extreme reset? That would be my hope but either way I’d decline Fox for now.

Every single non warriors KD team has imploded but that is the guy you want the spurs to go after

[Atl Spur]

And can be had without giving up a player we liked

even the old man agreed to trade his pet George Hill

Let’s not forget kind sir, the whole talk was about trading Tony Parker at the time….. stop trying to make points fit narratives

[poopbox]

at all the people here who are like "this guard we drafted in one of the weakest drafts ever barely averaging 10 points for a team with a losing record shooting in the mid 20 on almost nothing but wide open 3's has all this untapped potential we shouldn't trade him"

Type of people you give a million dollars to and they just put it under their mattress and let it rot

[Atl Spur]

Patfo ed Indiana….. George Hill for Kawhi? Chess no Checkers

[LeBowen]

[Charania] DeAaron Fox’s top destination is the San Antonio Spurs and he would be reluctant to signing a long term contract in Sacramento or anywhere else if traded

Me and the boys waiting for Wright to make the right move:

[baseline bum]

Me and the boys waiting for Wright to make the right move:

I don't see that on Shams' twitter. Where'd did you see him say that?