De’Aaron Fox went from the hero of San Antonio’s trade deadline to the guy Spurs fans were groaning at every time he touched the ball in the NBA Finals. That’s a harsh fall for a guy who helped drag this team to 62 regular season wins.
But here’s the thing about playoff basketball. It exposes everything. Fox shot 34 percent from the floor in the Finals. He averaged 13 points and six assists. Those numbers look even worse when you remember the Spurs just handed him a four-year, $229 million extension that starts next season.
And then there’s Dylan Harper. The rookie they grabbed in the 2025 draft was supposed to be a long-term project. Instead, he outplayed Fox in the biggest moments of the season. Harper looked like the guy who should be running the offense for the next decade. Fox looked like a guy who might be trade bait before that extension fully kicks in.
Let’s be real about what happened in those Finals. Fox made some big shots in Game 3, the one win against the Knicks. But Games 4 and 5 were ugly. He forced bad shots. He looked tight. The guy who was supposed to be the surehanded veteran leader turned into a liability in the clutch.
So where does Fox end up if the Spurs decide to move on? A few teams make sense.
Orlando Magic Could Use a Point Guard Who Stays Healthy
The Magic already have Desmond Bane, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. That’s a lot of money committed to a core. But their offense in the playoffs was brutal. They scored 101.9 points per 100 possessions. That’s not going to cut it.
Jalen Suggs is a great defender, but he’s hurt all the time. Fox is an upgrade offensively and he actually plays. The Magic just hired Sean Sweeney, a former Spurs assistant who built a relationship with Fox in San Antonio. That connection matters.
A lineup of Fox, Bane, Wagner, Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr. would be expensive. Really expensive. But it would also be more balanced. The problem is Fox isn’t a great three-point shooter. Neither is Suggs, though, so it’s not like they’d be losing much there.
The Magic have committed to contending. They made their bed when they traded for Bane. Fox gives them a legit ballhandler who can take pressure off Banchero and Wagner. That’s worth the money if it works.
Miami Heat Love Buy-Low Opportunities
The Heat missed the playoffs this year. That’s not something Pat Riley accepts easily. Miami always seems to be in on stars whose value has dropped, and Fox fits that description perfectly.
He’d reunite with Bam Adebayo, his college teammate at Kentucky. That connection could unlock something for both of them. Tyler Herro would likely head to San Antonio in a deal. Herro knows how to come off the bench and he’s a much better shooter than Fox. That would let Harper step into the starting role where he belongs long-term.
Florida teams just feel right for Fox. The Heat have the culture to maybe fix whatever went wrong in San Antonio during those Finals.
Houston Rockets Have a Point Guard Problem
Fred VanVleet tore his ACL and missed the entire 2025-26 season. The Rockets still won 52 games but got bounced in the first round by a Lakers team that didn’t even have Luka Doncic playing. That stings.
VanVleet has a $25 million player option for next season. He’s probably picking that up after missing a whole year. But he’s 6-foot-0 coming off a major knee injury. There’s no guarantee he comes back the same player.
The Rockets need a point guard if VanVleet isn’t right. Fox is available and he’s a two-time All-Star. But the fit is awkward. Fox isn’t a great floor spacer and his contract is massive. Houston would have to really believe VanVleet won’t recover to make this work.
The Reality Check
Most contending teams already have a point guard. That’s the problem for San Antonio. The market for Fox isn’t as big as his salary suggests. The Spurs might have to eat some of that contract or take back players who don’t fit perfectly. That’s the price you pay when your big-money guy shrinks under the brightest lights.
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