The Spurs have extended guard Fox with a maximum contract worth $229 million over four years! ESPN analyzes the backcourt's future: a sweet dilemma.

On August 5, Beijing time, the Spurs preemptively extended guard Fox with a maximum contract worth $229 million over four years. Fox's current contract has a final year salary of just over $37 million, and his new contract will take effect next July, lasting until the 2029-30 season. The starting salary of this contract will account for 30% of the salary cap for the 2026-27 season.

Salary expert Marks outlined the details of Fox's new contract: $51 million for the 2026-27 season, $55.1 million for the 27-28 season, $59.2 million for the 28-29 season, and $63.3 million for the 29-30 season.

However, if the NBA's latest forecast of a 7% salary cap increase holds true, the total value of Fox's four-year contract will be $222.4 million. Only if next year's salary cap rises by the maximum allowed 10% will the contract value approach $229 million. It is reported that this contract does not include a player option for the fourth year and has no trade guarantee.

Last season, Fox averaged 19.7 points and 6.8 assists in 17 games played for the Spurs. On March 18, he underwent surgery to repair a tendon injury in his left pinky finger, ending his season early. This injury occurred during training camp in October, but he played through the pain all season. In the 62 games he played for both the Spurs and the Kings, Fox averaged 23.5 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.8 rebounds.

On November 16 of last year, Fox scored 60 points against the Timberwolves, setting a single-game scoring record for the Kings. Last season, only Jokic in the entire league also had a single-game performance of 60 points.

Fox is one of only two players in the past six seasons to average 20 points, 5 assists, and 1 steal per game, the other being Doncic. Since entering the NBA in the 2017-18 season, he is also one of only four players to accumulate 10,000 points, 3,000 assists, and 700 steals, alongside Harden, Westbrook, and Jokic.

ESPN rated this extension as approved (the extension agreement uses a “pass/fail” rating standard).

The arrival of Harper has made Fox's future with the Spurs uncertain. Due to both players' inconsistent outside shooting, these two left-handed players cannot maximize their value off the ball. According to Genius IQ data, in the past five seasons, Fox's catch-and-shoot three-point percentage is 35%, ranking in the 27th percentile among players with at least 250 attempts; while Harper had a three-point percentage of 33% in his only college season, hitting only 1 of 8 attempts in two NBA Summer League games.

If Harper develops as the Spurs reasonably expect, the team will face a dilemma at the point guard position in the next 2-3 years, making the trade value of Fox's contract a particularly important consideration in this decision.

Compared to trying to trade Fox with an expiring contract now, extending him may be a better option. The Spurs were initially willing to give up multiple first-round picks to acquire Fox largely because he clearly expressed a willingness to extend and listed the Spurs as a preferred destination. The Sacramento Kings had no obligation to accommodate his preference, and it is likely that other teams, viewing Fox merely as a short-term option, would offer lower bids.

However, if the delay continues for too long, Fox's value may decline due to this contract. For a player who has only been selected as an All-Star once (in the 2022-23 season, also making the All-NBA Third Team and leading the Kings to their first playoff appearance in 17 years), a 30% max salary proportion is already substantial.

More troubling is that, historically, Fox's skill set does not age well.As a shorter guard with non-elite shooting skills, speed is key to his status among the league's top point guards. Predecessors with similar styles (represented by Monta Ellis and Steve Francis) quickly faded from the league in their 30s.

However, considering that the evolution of NBA offensive tactics has created more space for guards, and Fox is likely to become an average three-point shooter in the league, it is unrealistic to expect him to follow the same fate. In the 2023-24 season, he had a high shooting volume of 7.8 attempts per game with a 37% three-point shooting percentage, but that number dropped to 31% last season, below his career average.

Even so, by the time this contract ends (when he will be 32), Fox is more likely to become an average starting point guard rather than an elite player. In the NBA's "luxury tax era," we have seen similar contract mismatches make players difficult to trade (or even impossible to trade).

Unlike other teams that choose to extend contracts due to the irreplaceable talent of their players, the Spurs actually have a reasonable alternative path—over $50 million in salary cap space by 2026. On the other hand, Fox is likely to be the best active star in the free market that season, and the Spurs cannot carry over salary cap space to 2027, as Wembanyama will likely have signed a max extension by then.

Therefore, this extension may be worth a try for the Spurs, even if Fox is more likely to be the current rather than long-term solution at point guard. Since February, another change for the Spurs is that future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul, who previously started alongside Fox, has left to return to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Fox will enter training camp with the ball in hand and has time to develop chemistry with Wembanyama—the Spurs hope this duo can lead the team back to the playoffs this season.If the goal is achieved, having both Fox and Harper will present a "sweet dilemma" for the Spurs.