The De'Aaron Fox extension: Is San Antonio's deal with the dynamic point guard as bonkers as it seems?
Let's talk about it.
The glass half empty perspective
Even through the biggest lens of optimism, this extension comes with risk. Fox isn't a natural long-range shooter whatsoever, and that's a not insignificant shortcoming in 2025, especially when the Spurs in particular need to optimize the spacing around Wembanyama.
Furthermore, Fox at 30% of the cap could see his trade value decline in this new era of aprons, where every dollar is squeezed to its full potential, as to avoid being put in financial handcuffs.
There's also the element of age. Fox is 27, a full six years older than Wembanyama, which means their long-term future as a duo could get, well, a bit messed up.
In Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo spent years being surrounded by older players, in form of Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez, who eventually aged out and became less effective, leaving the Bucks in a situation where they couldn't replace them, seeing as money were tied up on them, and their trade values diminishing by the year.
Fox still has some years left before the Spurs have to worry about that, but it's worth remembering the Bucks example, just for future reference.
The glass half full perspective
While there should be some long-term concerns, from a roster flexibility perspective, with Fox's extension, it's crucial to remember that he's one of the most explosive and dynamic point guards in the NBA.
He's a career 21.5-point scorer, an athletic blur, and his defensive capabilities were generally underplayed due to the fact that he played in Sacramento for almost eight years.
Fox is also a real point guard, in the sense that he can set the table, run the show, defer when necessary, get certain players involved when they haven't seen the ball for five possessions in a row, and he's by all accounts an exceptional locker room presence who has historically been a tremendous communicator.
Not only will those leadership abilities help the Spurs on the floor, but they will also provide recent lottery pick, Dylan Harper, with a world of insight into what it takes to be a natural floor leader.
Finally, the presence of Fox does provide the Spurs with a high baseline of talent, as they can stagger him and Wembanyama, to make sure there's an All-Star caliber player on the floor at every possible moment.
The broader perspective
All in all, it's fair to not like this contract, just as it's fair to love it. Essentially, it comes down to how much you value financial flexibility, and whether you think Fox is a player worthy of such a commitment.
There is a difference between superstars and fringe All-Stars, of which Fox belongs in the latter category with his just one nod, and most teams are keenly aware that paying top dollar for the non-superstar can prove problematic.
It's also worth considering that the Spurs will also have to hand Wembanyama an extension after the conclusion of next season, one which triggers in 2027.
So, perhaps then, there is a plan in place to utilize the $24 million spent on backup centers this offseason, not to mention Keldon Johnson's modest salary of $17.5 million, to make a play for something larger as the team nears the trade deadline.
The Fox extension could also be viewed as insurance, should outside teams eventually be willing to fork over assets for him, and view the fact that he's on the books for so long as an asset in its own right.
Regardless, fairly or unfairly, expectations now lie on Fox to live up to this deal, and to prove he is the guy to help the Spurs level up.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Listen up WNBA fans, players are fed up with sex toy bit, so can you please keep it in your pants?
The WNBA has been busy making headlines for rising in popularity, having rookie players that are breaking records, and being extremely queer. But lately, the league has been in the news because colorful dildos have been flying onto the court during games. At first, it seemed comical, playful even, and maybe a good luck charm for the Golden State Valkyries, who won both games where a dildo ended up on the court. But now, women's sports fans, it's time to talk because you've taken it too far. It's not funny anymore. The first lime green dildo was thrown onto the court of a contentious game between the Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream on July 29 in Georgia. Almost the entirety of the internet thought the incident was hilarious and quickly got busy making memes. But then it just kept happening. The bizarre trend continued a few days later at an August 1 game between the Valkyries and the Chicago Sky. The third time this happened, Indian Fever star Sophie Cunningham ended up getting hit in the head with the sex toy after telling people on X (formerly Twitter) to 'stop throwing dildos on the court… you're going to hurt one of us.' Then, someone tried to throw another green dildo at a New York Liberty game, but instead of it landing on the court, it nearly hit a child, according to a video posted on social media. Once a sex toy almost nails a kid in the head, it's time to look at what we're doing. At first, we wondered if this wasn't a funny, tongue-in-cheek way to call out just how sapphic the game has gotten, but now that a man has been arrested and said that it was 'supposed to be a joke' and 'go viral,' the intentions seem more problematic. Being taken seriously as a female athlete is already a tough assignment, and having sex toys flying left and right during games isn't helping, especially at a time when WNBA players are fighting for better compensation and revenue sharing. Bottom line: women's sports are not a joke. And while we'd like to think this started as a harmless prank that gave us all a chuckle, it's starting to smack of sexism. In the beginning even some of the players seemed to laugh along. Fever guard Sydney Colson even went on her podcast dressed a green dildo, but then things kept escalating and other players started pointing out how 'disrespectful' and 'dangerous' it is. 'It's super disrespectful,' Sky center Elizabeth Williams said after he game against the Valkyries, per Front Office Sports. 'I don't really get the point of it. It's really immature. Whoever's doing it just needs to grow up.' Sparks coach Lynne Roberts also said, 'It's ridiculous, it's dumb, it's stupid. It's also dangerous. Player safety is number one, respecting the game, all those things. I think it's really stupid.' And GOAT Diana Taurasi had the perfect response for the jokesters, 'I would have picked that thing up and thrown it right back at them.' Maybe we should all just listen to the players themselves. So whoever is keeping this 'joke' going, whether they are straight or gay, it's time to call it quits. The bit is getting tired anyway, right? This article originally appeared on Pride: Listen up WNBA fans, players are fed up with sex toy bit, so can you please keep it in your pants? RELATED Marina Mabrey's manicure is missing *those* nails and lesbians are spiraling WNBA rookie Maddy Westbeld hard launches relationship with college baller Olivia Miles Flying sex toys keep interrupting WNBA games and players are calling foul
Yahoo
2 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Derrick White on Las Vegas Summer League, Olympics with his Boston Celtics teammates
The second episode of Boston Celtics point guard Derrick White is out. In the newest episode of the "White Noise" podcast, the University of Colorado - Boulder alum and his cohost Welsh took a deep dive into what White did last summer at the 2024 Paris Olympics on his way to winning a gold medal with the US National Team (and how he missed his own epic birthday bash in Baja California to do it). They also touch on Las Vegas Summer League and what it is like to play in it vs. attend as an established player or fan in the bleachers, meeting Deion Sanders at a Buffaloes game, and even a premature welcome for now-traded forward Georges Niang to the Celtics. They even get into the fact that White still has never gotten a technical foul in the NBA, and why at least one of his teammates in Boston won't fully respect him until he does. Check it out below! Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on: Spotify: iTunes: YouTube: This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Derrick White on Las Vegas Summer League, Olympics with Celtics teammates
Yahoo
2 minutes ago
- Yahoo
CSAC's Andy Foster explains shake-up to MMA scoring criteria, potential for future rule changes
Andy Foster, the California State Athletic Commission executive director and one of MMA's most influential regulators, is pushing this week for a major scoring shake-up. If successful, it'll prioritize damage over all else, offering a clearer pathway for judges to identify 10-8 and even 10-7 rounds. In boxing, a knockdown often triggers a 10-8. In MMA, that's not always the case. A proposed update to the Unified Rules of MMA could change that — pending a vote that's expected to pass this week at the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports' (ABC) annual conference in New Orleans. Once official, it will formalize what Foster says many judges already practice — that is, scoring based on the visible effect of strikes and grappling, with damage at the top of the criteria list. 'To get a 10-8 in mixed martial arts is now going to require significant damage,' Foster told Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show." That's "as close as we can get" to boxing's clearer 10-8 system, per the commissioner. Foster said the new language — if approved by ABC — solidifies how judges interpret dominant rounds. While 10-8s already account for 'damage, domination and duration,' damage takes precedence, always. 'Damage is the No. 1 scoring criteria through effective striking and effective grappling," he said. 'You've heard these other terms — effective aggressiveness, effective cage control — [but] the only thing that matters is how the techniques, through striking or grappling, impacted the opponent.' The change is also meant to bring consistency to judges, commentators and fans. The recent featherweight bout between Mohammad Yahya and Steven Nguyen at UFC Abu Dhabi sparked widespread debate, for example. There were six knockdowns in the opening round, and all three judges awarded Nguyen a 10-8. For Foster, "It should have been a 10-7 [even] under the current criteria." 'I would have hoped that fight would have been stopped after the fifth knockdown,' said Foster. 'I'd have had no issues [if it were stopped] after the fourth. For goodness' sakes, he had to have had some assistance back to the corner. There were a lot of places it could have been stopped. I would not have felt comfortable sending him out, [if it were] in California, for the second round.' Despite the criticism, Foster backed referee Jason Herzog — one of MMA's most respected referees, who oversaw the match. He said the two spoke shortly after the event. 'He's one of the best referees in the world," Foster said. "It's a difficult conversation. The hope is that he learns from this. Hopefully, every referee does. Six knockdowns is a bit much.' The exchange triggered a wider discussion about whether a set knockdown limit — like boxing's 'three-knockdown rule' — could apply to MMA. But Foster is unconvinced. "I'm definitely in disagreement with that," he said. 'The first three knockdowns were not what I'd call significant. Jon Anik mentioned a five-knockdown rule, I think. And I'm not in favor of that, either. 'Really, in practicality, [five is] a pretty good number, a gauge. But you have to look at factors going into it. If they're concussive knockdowns, [and if the] brain rattled.' Foster also pointed to the different cultures of cornering MMA and boxing bouts. Coaches in the latter sport withdraw their beaten fighters far more frequently than those in MMA. 'MMA is younger and boxing is older,' Foster said. 'You have older guys who have more information and have seen more. They are more wise and savvy — they'll save their fighter for another day. In MMA these guys … 'You're tough, can probably make it out.' It's just a different kind of thing.' Foster also emphasized his desire to minimize 10-10 rounds entirely. 'If you're watching a fight for five minutes, and you can't tell me who won that fight, I'll find another judge,' Foster warned. 'It messes up the scoring. You need to pick a winner, and if people are putting 10-10s, there's a lack of consistency in the scoring.' While the idea of adding a fourth or fifth judge has been floated, Foster noted logistical challenges. 'That real estate where judges sit is pretty crowded if it's a TV fight,' he said. He also warned against too many rule tweaks too quickly. "I do not want any further changes for a while," he said, adding that ones implemented last year — from clarifying the ruling on grounded fighters, to legalizing 12-6 elbows, should have gone through a long time ago. "I think [those ruling changes] worked out more than fine." Foster also commented on the fate the now-defunct Global Fight League (GFL). The organization created promotional material, said it had signed fighters to teams, and even put together a draft. However, it fell apart financially and ultimately failed before it could even hold its first event, which was expected to take place in Foster's jurisdiction of California. Foster wanted "to see certain financial things" before GFL made it to a fight night. "I'm not going to go into a fight and not be sure the fighters can be paid," he said. "I'm not going to have a brand new promotion come into California, talking major money, more than what I'd consider market rate, and not put some checks and balances in." He's also working to boost California's unique fighter retirement fund through that state's DMV. Should the CSAC secure 7,500 license plates on pre-order, then the DMV will escalate their production. The proceeds would go toward fighter pensions. Though a promising initiative, it may be a long while before other major athletic commissions in the U.S., like Nevada and New York, follow suit. "I've not seen interest from other commissions," to replicate the fund in their regions, said Foster. Foster's rule changes — and the conversations they've sparked — speak to an evolving sport still working to strike the right balance between entertainment, safety and competitive clarity. 'When we talk about what we want for MMA, I'd like to see more high-level people doing the teaching — whether that's judges, refs, or corners," he said. "Everyone has a part to play."
