The San Antonio Spurs are fresh off an appearance in the NBA Finals in June.
The 62-20 record and second-place finish in the NBA hierarchy in 2025-26 is just the start of a special future.
Fourth-year center Victor Wembanyama is perhaps the best player in the league already. Stephon Castle is fully on-track to become a star in year three. There is a considerable amount of veteran talent backing up the under-25 stars.
However, there are definite team dynamics that are the subject of questioning heading into 2026-27. Among those is the dynamic at point guard.
Spurs Should Have Moved on From De’Aaron Fox
There is something of a point guard controversy brewing in San Antonio. The Spurs are currently posturing to start De’Aaron Fox, although second-year prodigy Dylan Harper is in prime position to make a leap into stardom.
Greg Swartz (Bleacher Report) very much believes that the Spurs should have made a trade to move on from Fox over the course of the offseason.
This creates a fascinating discourse, as Fox is in the midst of a hefty long-term contract. Will this factor make it more challenging to move on from the 2017 lottery selection?
Nothing is in stone, but it certainly has an opportunity to complicate the Spurs’ efforts. In extension of this, there are potential fallouts from a deal that complicate the discussion. This includes the idea that Fox is a “sunk-cost” trade asset, meaning that the Spurs would lose any trade from a value perspective.
The other is the possible chemistry issues that might arise due to the starting lineup controversy.
Will Point Guard Issues Negatively Impact Team?
Will this dynamic heading into year two impact the way the team operates?
This is a tricky situation for head coach Mitch Johnson and the front office to juggle. There’s simply no way that the Spurs will be able to send Fox to the bench without opening the door for chemistry issues. Fox isn’t only an established star, he is also a high-paid one.
On the same side of the coin, it’s challenging to keep Harper on the bench. While Harper can make an impact off the bench, an argument can be made that he is already the second best player on the entire roster.
Keeping one of the best players on the team on the bench is a curious choice that lends credence to the Spurs “playing things safe” above all else.
It’s difficult to firmly project that keeping this arrangement will create chemistry issues. However, there is a definite chance that it limits the ceiling of a team that is already a 60-win commodity.
This is a thin line that San Antonio management is towing, but there’s a strong chance that the organizational culture takes the forefront in organizing another incredible season.
San Antonio opens preseason play against the Atlanta Hawks on Oct. 8 in a home battle.
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