San Antonio wants De'Aaron Fox, but they might want to think twice

The Spurs front office is right to examine every opportunity they have to acquire a premium perimeter creator to pair with Victor Wembanyama. That does not mean swinging a trade for De'Aaron Fox is the right move for San Antonio.

Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic have reported that the Spurs are "positioning themselves" for a run at the Sacramento point guard. Fox has become increasingly disillusioned with the state of the Kings' roster as they continue to fall behind their competitors in the Western Conference.

At first glance the idea that San Antonio would trade for an All-Star point guard in his prime seems like the perfect fit for a team that needs to make the game easier for their generational star. Further examination should give the Spurs' front office serious pause about cashing in their trade chips to land Fox.

What makes De'Aaron Fox a good fit with Victor Wembanyama?

The Spurs need to find a way to produce more easy baskets. Fox is a guard who really thrives in the open floor. His ability to push the ball in the transition would be a major plus for the team's overall offense and Wembanyama's scoring game as an individual.

Fox's ability to penetrate in the halfcourt would also make the game easier for San Antonio's 7-foot-3 superstar. He doesn't have quite the same burst that he did a few seasons ago but he still can put pressure on opponents with his first step and improving craft. He would be an upgrade over Chris Paul because of his ability to be an individaul scorer.

Acquiring Fox would make the Spurs offense better. The issue here is that it's not the ideal acquisition for San Antonio if they want to maximize things around Wembanyama.

Why isn't De'Aaron Fox a good fit with Victor Wembanyama?

The No. 1 thing the Spurs need to do to build the best team possible around Wembanyama is to give him more room to operate. It's vital they build a starting five that surrounds their franchise star with four elite shooters.

Fox is a lot of things but he's not a premium shooter. His declining 3-point percentage should be a major red flag for decisions in San Antonio. He's only making 33.3 percent of his shots behind the arc this season. That, paired with his noticeable decline in burst with the ball is making him easier for opponents to guard in the halfcourt.

It's easy to envision a scenario where Fox loses another step of athleticism in the halfcourt and ceases to be nothing more than an average offensive player in another season or two. He might be able to compensate for that loss of athleticism by adding more skill to his game but that's not a bet the Spurs should be willing to make.

So what should do the Spurs do instead?

Advocating for more patience isn't going to satisfy Spurs fans who want to see their team accelerate their rebuild but it's the right course of action for the franchise. Acquiring a good starter is nto the all-in move San Antonio should pursue.

The front office should keep their trade powder dry until a younger shooter becomes available. Wembanyama is only playing his age-21 season. Fox is already 27-years-old which does not line up perfectly with the Spurs' best player.

In the end, Fox is a good, but not great fit with Wembanyama on the floor who is closer towards age-related regression than his athletic prime. For those two reasons, the Spurs need to pass on going all-in for Fox and wait for a better partner for Wemby.