It was on Sunday where the San Antonio Spurs potentially found their running mate alongside wunderkind Victor Wembanyama. They acquired 27-year-old De’Aaron Fox from the Sacramento Kings, allowing San Antonio to have a lead guard more on their timeline. The Spurs have played one game since the trade, losing to the Memphis Grizzlies by the score of 128-109. San Antonio did not have Fox available for that outing, so when is he expected to make his Spurs debut?
De’Aaron Fox Expected To Make Spurs Debut Against Hawks
Fox Likely To Make Spurs Debut On Wednesday
The Spurs next play on Wednesday, going on the road to take on the Atlanta Hawks. Losers of their last two games, San Antonio will look to get back into the win column. It looks like they will have more reinforcements available for the game, led by Fox. Per Michael C. Wright of ESPN, Fox is expected to make his debut with his new team against Atlanta.
Update: all signs indicate that De’Aaron Fox and Jordan McLaughlin will make their Spurs debut here in Atlanta tomorrow, barring any unforeseen circumstances. All physicals have been passed.
— Michael C. Wright (@mikecwright) February 5, 2025
Joining him (as long as all physicals from other teams in the deal are completed) will be fellow point guard Jordan McLaughlin. The full details of what was a three-team trade saw San Antonio acquire Fox and McLaughlin, the Kings add Zach LaVine, Sidy Cissoko, three first round picks, and three second round picks, while the Bulls received Zach Collins, Tre Jones, Kevin Huerter, and a first round pick.
Now in his eighth NBA season, Fox was named an All-Star in the 2022-23 season. The 6-foot-3 point guard appeared in 45 games for Sacramento this season. He posted averages of 25.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.5 steals. He has shot 46.9% from the field, 32.2% from beyond the arc, and 82.9% from the free-throw line.
Fox will certainly take his spot in the Spurs starting five. Who will he replace? The choice may be due to injury. Chris Paul, who hasn’t missed a game all season, is listed as questionable for Wednesday with a finger sprain. Not only has Paul played every game, he has started each one as well. If Paul proves to be available, either he or rookie Stephon Castle are the likely candidates to be moved to the bench.
San Antonio Still Alive In Play-In Tournament Chase
The trade for Fox absolutely wasn’t just meant to help San Antonio this season. At 27 years old, Fox is young enough to be a solid running mate with Wembanyama for years to come. He has one year left on his del, and the Spurs wouldn’t make this deal unless they were planning on keeping Fox for the long haul.
In the meantime though, the Spurs are on the outskirts of the Play-In Tournament hunt in the Western Conference. Their 21-26 record places them currently 12th in the West. They sit three games behind the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, and Dallas Mavericks who are the 9-11 seeds out West. It will be interesting to see if Fox can get quickly acclimated with his new club and help them go on a late run.
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