In the wake of a disappointing NBA Finals in which he averaged 12.8 points per game on .343/.250/.900 shooting, De’Aaron Fox was the subject of some trade speculation at the start of the offseason. But the Spurs quickly and publicly shut down that speculation, and Jared Weiss of The Athletic hears that the team has also been privately conveying the message that Fox isn’t going anywhere.

As Weiss writes, the Spurs have pointed to the ankle injury that Fox sustained in the second round as one important reason for his struggles late in the postseason. Prior to that injury, he was averaging 18.8 PPG on 46.2% in 11 playoff games. After returning, he scored 12.0 PPG on 35.3% shooting.

According to Weiss, the Spurs also recognize that Fox – whose four-year, $221.7MM contract extension just began – wouldn’t have a ton of trade value at the moment. While it’s possible the veteran point guard won’t play out his entire four-year contract in San Antonio, the team would want him to rebuild his value before seriously considering a move, Weiss suggests.

Here’s more on the Spurs:

• While Dylan Harper showed during his rookie season that he’s well on his way to future stardom, there’s a sense that he’ll be asked to come off the bench again in 2026/27. As Weiss explains, Fox and Stephon Castle are likely locked in as starters unless one of them volunteers to be a sixth man, and it’s difficult for the team to play all three guards together for extended stretches since none are knockdown outside shooters. Weiss also points out that Victor Wembanyama‘s decision to forgo $50MM+ in possible future earnings on his newly signed contract extension “helped set the standard that sacrifice is expected across the roster.”
• Keldon Johnson, who is on an expiring $18MM contract in 2026/27, will be extension-eligible all season long, but scouts and front office executives around the NBA are skeptical that the reigning Sixth Man of the Year will sign a new long-term deal this offseason, Weiss reports. Johnson struggled in the postseason, and the Spurs already invested in recent weeks in multiyear contracts for two other wings: Julian Champagnie (three years, $45MM) and Tobias Harris (two years, $30.8MM).
• The Spurs have yet to announce a recovery timeline for rookie Jayden Quaintance, who underwent meniscus surgery this week. However, league sources tell The Athletic that multiple teams who evaluated Quaintance during the pre-draft process believed he’d require a procedure that would sideline him for most of the 2026/27 season. One of those sources, Weiss adds, said the big man looked “fantastic” in a 1-on-0 workout despite not being at full strength.