With Victor Wembanyama alone, the San Antonio Spurs have no shortage of star power. Last season, he emerged as one of the best floor-spacing bigs in the NBA and the singular best defender in the entire Association.
And yet, the Spurs have continued to bolster their lineup around him. Last season, they traded for De’Aaron Fox, who only got to share the court with Wemby for five games, and this summer, they drafted Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant while trading for Kelly Olynyk and signing Luke Kornet.
Add in a young supporting cast of Devin Vassell, Stephon Castle, and Jeremy Sochan, along with veteran Harrison Barnes, and the Spurs could be ready to make some noise, especially after finding the co-star for their Alien.
De’Aaron Fox Will Be Victor Wembanyama’s Running Mate on the San Antonio Spurs
Both Castle and Harper are young players brimming with potential, although Fox is already an established All-Star who can run the floor and carry a scoring load. The San Antonio Spurs are only as good as Wembanyama is, and by giving him a win-now partner instead of young players with potential, the Spurs should be able to cobble together their first winning season since 2019.
While fans might call for Castle and Harper to run the show, the reality is that their timeline to contention started as soon as they won the rights to draft Wemby in 2023, and everything else is a secondary priority.
“They gave De’Aaron Fox a max contract because they see him as the running mate to Victor going forward,” explained ESPN’s Brian Windhorst on September 10.
Last month, Fox signed a four-year, $229 million extension to keep him in town through 2029-30, barring a trade if either youngster can surpass him, which is not a guarantee.
Still, even with proven veterans like Fox and Barnes influencing Wembanyama, the Spurs will likely finish behind the Thunder, Rockets, Nuggets, Mavericks, Lakers, and Clippers this season.
“I’m a big believer in the Spurs‘ future,” Windhorst added. “I’m not sure I’m sold that this is the year they leap into the top six. But hey, you know, I’ve got a rule and I’m bringing it back this September. No ceilings on Victor Wembanyama.”
Fox’s Extension Doesn’t Guarantee His Future
If it weren’t for “generational” prospect Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper likely would have been drafted first overall. Touted as the best guard prospect since Cade Cunningham, he is expected to emerge as an All-Star sooner rather than later.
On top of that, Castle is the reigning Rookie of the Year and showed elite flashes on both ends of the floor last season. While his offense is not as polished as the Spurs would like, it’s easy to see Castle and Harper being long-term running mates for Wemby, eventually replacing Fox.
However, there is no guarantee that either Harper or Castle will ever be better than Fox. After all, he is an established All-NBA and All-Star player, and the hype surrounding the young guards does not promise success; it merely hints at it.
While there is a world where Fox plays out his new contract as the second-best player on the Spurs, it seems equally likely that he is traded away to be the second-best player on a good team. While his contract seems huge now, the salary cap is due to explode, making his “maximum” deal less daunting in the future seasons.
The Spurs are unlikely to trade an All-Star guard to a Western Conference rival, although Eastern teams on the rise, like the Toronto Raptors or Orlando Magic, could use a skillful point guard to complete their rebuild. The Spurs have no shortage of guard depth and should have more than enough options moving forward.
San Antonio Spurs Already Found Victor Wembanyama’s ‘Running Mate’