This summer, the San Antonio Spurs made a significant financial commitment to De’Aaron Fox by signing him to a four-year contract worth $222 million. His average annual salary will be $55.6 million, rising from approximately $49 million in 2026 to $61 million by 2029.
The deal elevates Fox from 48th to fifth in the league for average yearly earnings, placing him just above stars like Jimmy Butler and Nikola Jokic, while trailing Jaylen Brown and Anthony Davis. Despite this, the Spurs’ payroll structure means Fox’s salary accounts for about 30 percent of their salary cap over the contract’s duration, translating into a more modest 20th highest in the league overall.
Such a considerable contract reflects San Antonio’s expectation that Fox will perform at an elite level and significantly contribute alongside Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs are betting on their ability to cultivate a strong partnership between Fox and Wembanyama, capable of transforming their team into a championship contender.
Limited Chemistry Following an Early Setback for Wembanyama
Fox and Wembanyama had minimal opportunities to play together due to a blood clot in Wembanyama’s right shoulder, which prematurely ended his season. Consequently, the duo logged only 112 meaningful minutes on the court, where they recorded a minus-4.4 net rating. Defensive struggles largely impacted this limited sample, while offensively, their rating was slightly above the league average at 0.9 points.
Assessing Fox’s Role and Offensive Development
Although their joint minutes do not provide definitive evidence, game footage reveals areas where Fox must evolve to justify his payday. Success alongside Wembanyama will likely depend on Fox embracing a more controlled downhill attacking style and enhancing his floor spacing ability.
During the 2024-25 season, Fox averaged 23.5 points, 6.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game, shooting just below league average efficiency by 1.7 percent. Fox has heavily relied on his midrange game, attempting eight midrange shots per contest and converting nearly half of them at 47 percent. Notably, his frequency near the rim has declined sharply since his 2020 peak.
Despite his midrange proficiency, Fox’s inconsistent outside shooting undermines his overall spacing impact. Last season, he connected on only 31.1 percent of his 6.1 attempts per 75 possessions from three-point range, which limits defensive attention and floor spacing. Even his best shooting streaks, like hitting 37 percent of threes on eight attempts per game in 2023-24, lack the sustained downhill pressure that elevates offensive threat.
Wembanyama’s Passing and Playmaking Potential
Fox benefits from Wembanyama’s exceptional passing skills, which rank among the best for big men in the NBA. The new Spurs star posted potential assists per 100 possessions of 9.7, rim assists per 100 of 2.8, and an on-ball passing rate of 13.6 percent last season, all figures in the 91st percentile or higher.
He ranked sixth among centers in rim assists per 100 possessions, consistently finding cutters and utilizing dribbling into handoffs and screens to create high-percentage shots around the basket. This playmaking sets the stage for increased off-ball collaboration with Fox, evidenced by the 41.4 percent of Fox’s made shots at the rim being assisted last season, a mark likely to rise as their partnership develops.
Pick-and-Roll Dynamics and Offensive Synergy
Fox excels in pick-and-roll situations, an area where he and Wembanyama have strong potential as a tandem. Unlike his former Sacramento teammate Domantas Sabonis, whose game emphasized high-post positioning and less aggressive rolling, Wembanyama’s remarkable vertical ability and extensive catch radius offer Fox enhanced passing lanes and scoring chances.
While Fox is not the type of player to serve as the primary playmaker full-time, his precision in punishing drop coverage is notable, especially given his speed and efficient intermediate scoring. In fact, last season, Fox ranked in the 85th percentile for points per possession and the 93rd percentile for volume among pick-and-roll ball-handlers, an efficient workload combination poised to generate more open opportunities for Wembanyama.
Isolation Threat and Defensive Challenges for the Duo
Should Wembanyama prove too dominant rolling to the basket, opposing defenses may respond with switches, challenging Fox to exploit these matchups. Fox’s speed and change of pace allow him to isolate and score effectively against bigger defenders, maintaining his status as a lethal offensive weapon.
Despite the Spurs’ recent additions through the draft of pick-and-roll oriented players Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, both of whom handle the ball heavily, Fox’s role is likely to transition more towards floor spacing away from the ball. Harper, in particular, is a primary ball-handler, which will influence Fox’s offensive usage.
Future Outlook for the Wembanyama-Fox Partnership
At this juncture, limited playing time together has left many questions about the duo’s chemistry unanswered. However, as both players gain confidence and trust, their combined offensive capabilities could become formidable, with Wembanyama’s defensive skills covering potential weaknesses on that end.
Fox’s previous experience leading high-level offenses suggests he can rise to the challenge, but unlocking the Spurs’ full potential may require overcoming current roster constraints that are not ideally suited to his skill set. To meet the expectations tied to his massive contract, Fox will need to recapture the form he showed earlier in his career.
The Spurs’ young talent offers alternative routes to building a competitive team, but without a thriving star duo featuring Fox and Wembanyama, their ceiling will remain limited beyond the 2025-26 season and into the future.