The San Antonio Spurs are heading home with a loss and a lot of questions. But no one on the roster may be facing a longer offseason than De’Aaron Fox.
Fox capped off a disastrous NBA Finals performance with a Game 5 stinker on Saturday night, shooting 3-of-15 from the floor and 1-of-8 from deep in a loss to the New York Knicks. The Spurs fell 112–104 after blowing an 18-point lead, and Fox finished with just seven points and five rebounds.
For the series, Fox averaged 12.8 points per game on 34.2% shooting from the field and 25% from three-point range. Those numbers are brutal for a player who was supposed to be San Antonio’s second star next to Victor Wembanyama.
The fourth quarter was especially cruel. According to reporter Tomer Azarly, Fox went a combined 5-of-19 in the final period across all five games of the series, including an 0-for-4 showing in Game 5. He didn’t score in the fourth quarter of Game 1 or Game 5. He hit just two shots in Game 3 and only one in Game 4.
The Knicks, meanwhile, flipped the script again. New York erased an 18-point deficit in Game 5, powered by a resilient defensive effort and timely scoring from Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. The win gave the Knicks their first championship since 1973 and silenced a Spurs crowd that had come ready to celebrate a potential clinch.
San Antonio still had four scorers in double figures. Dylan Harper led the way with 25 points, five rebounds, four assists, and a block. Wembanyama added 19 points and 14 rebounds. Julian Champagnie put up 14 points and seven boards. Devin Vassell chipped in 12 and seven. But Fox’s struggles loomed over every possession down the stretch.
Now the Spurs enter an offseason with cap space and cautious optimism. They made the Finals earlier than expected, thanks to Wembanyama’s rapid rise and a deep supporting cast. But Fox’s performance raised uncomfortable questions about whether he can be the reliable second scorer on a title team, especially when the pressure ramps up.
San Antonio has not commented on any potential roster changes. According to league insiders, the front office will weigh its options in free agency and explore possible upgrades. Whether that means moving on from Fox or simply adding more shooting around him remains unclear.
For now, the image that sticks is Fox walking off the floor in Game 5 — head down, shooting hand empty, facing an offseason that just got a whole lot longer.
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