The San Antonio Spurs are facing a significant challenge with De'Aaron Fox's contract, which has been ranked as one of the worst in the NBA. Last result: San Antonio Spurs 90-94 New York Knicks (2026-06-14). Recent form (last 5): 1W-0D-4L (LLLLW, most recent first); lost the last 4.
What happened?
De'Aaron Fox's contract with the San Antonio Spurs has been ranked as the fourth-worst in the NBA by Dan Favale of Bleacher Report. Fox signed a massive four-year, $229 million max extension with the Spurs last August, which hasn't even kicked in yet. So Fox still has all four years and all of that money ahead of him on his deal.
Why it matters for San Antonio Spurs
Favale pointed to Fox's declining athleticism as well as production that doesn't match the size of that enormous contract as reasons for Fox's inclusion high up in the ranking. "De'Aaron Fox's deal is less problematic for the San Antonio Spurs than it would be for pretty much every other team. … Still, this is the salary structure of an All-NBA candidate. Fox produces more like a fringe All-Star," Favale wrote.
What comes next?
Despite the sheer size of his contract, his underwhelming play in the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder and their depth at his position, the Spurs don't plan to try to move Fox this summer, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst. "I know there's a lot of interest in whether they might do something with De'Aaron Fox, but they are committed to him right now as their franchise point guard," Windhorst said during an appearance on SportsCenter last month. And it would likely be difficult for the Spurs to move Fox's contract this summer anyway, but it will be interesting to see how his role will be affected moving forward due to the emergence of second-year guard Dylan Harper.
The aging curve of Fox's skill set is the problem. Fox is already showing signs of athletic decline. His free-throw attempts per 100 possessions have dipped year-over-year since 2022-23, and he's taken at least 25 percent of his looks at the rim only once over the past half-decade. And without a lights-out three-point stroke to rely on, his contract could feasibly spend its entire life underwater.
Fox averaged 18.6 points, 6.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per performance for the Spurs last season. The San Antonio Spurs are facing a significant challenge with De'Aaron Fox's contract, which has been ranked as one of the worst in the NBA.