As the New York Knicks celebrate their first NBA championship in 53 years, the San Antonio Spurs are now forced to make some difficult decisions regarding the roster.
Even before the Finals, it was a serious question whether or not rookie phenom Dylan Harper deserved the starting point guard spot over veteran guard De’Aaron Fox.
TOP NEWS
Both of their performances in the Finals helped answer this question very clearly. Not only should Harper be the starter next season, the Spurs should seriously consider trading Fox.
Notably, Spurs guard Devin Vassell said on Saturday that Harper became frustrated this season when he continued to come off the bench and see limited playing time.
While neither of them were fantastic in the Finals, Harper was the Spurs’ second leading scorer behind Victor Wembanyama with 18 points per game on 49.% shooting from the floor.
On the other hand, Fox had a disappointing series to say the least. He only managed to score 12.8 points per game while knocking down just 34.3% of his shots.
Harper only knocked down 28% of his long-range attempts, but that still beats Fox’s 25% rate from that range.
But beyond their play in the Finals, Harper is also the better option moving forward due to his overall fit alongside Wembanyama.
He’s not considered an elite outside shooter yet, but his offensive approach doesn’t rely on driving lanes as heavily as Fox’s. Opposing defenses had success this season when packing the paint against the Spurs, especially when Fox was the primary ball handler.
Additionally, the timing of it all points to yet another reason to trade Fox and go all in with Harper.
Fox is in the prime of his career and San Antonio’s financial responsibilities on his contract reflect that. He’s set to make over $53 million next season.
Compare that to Harper, who will only make roughly $13 million next season, and the value of keeping Fox on the roaster stsrts to look a bit different.
That isn’t to say Fox isn’t a terrific player and can’t make contributions on a contending team, it’s more so to say that both he and the Spurs may be better off if he’s on a different team next season.
In an ideal world, they would trade him in exchange for draft capital and an elite outside shooter or defensive wing.
Regardless of how he played during the Finals, there should be a sizable trade market for Fox, the Spurs just have to make the difficult decision to send him away.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
