4 Spurs who benefit most from De'Aaron Fox addition to San Antonio

This move will help several players on San Antonio's roster.

Sacramento Kings v Brooklyn Nets
Sacramento Kings v Brooklyn Nets | Sarah Stier/GettyImages

Don't look away from your phone or you'll miss a blockbuster NBA trade. That's been the feeling over the last 24 hours. The San Antonio Spurs added to the barrage of Shams bombs, pushing the pedal to the floor on their rebuild around franchise cornerstone Victor Wembanyama.

Brian Wright pulled off a career-defining trade on Sunday night, emptying the Spurs war chest of picks in a deal that brings De'Aaron Fox to San Antonio. ESPN's Shams Charania was the first to report the specifics of the deal.

First and foremost, what an absolute steal for San Antonio. They kept Stephon Castle and didn't have to include one of Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell, or Keldon Johnson. Credit to the front office for pushing their chips to the center of the table and saying "We like the group we have, but what if we add a former All-NBA point guard for fun?"

This is a dream scenario for Spurs fans. It's going to take some time to see exactly how Fox and the Spurs roster come together but it should be a highlight reel along the way. A high tide lifts all boats but these players on the Spurs roster will feel Fox's impact more than most.

De'Aaron Fox setting the pace for Victor Wembanyama's ascension

The number one benefactor in all of this is Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs' young star has been sending not-so-subtle hints for a while now that he's ready to win and he wants to win now. San Antonio's front office heard him loud and clear, bringing him another franchise-defining point guard to go along with Stephon Castle.

We've all seen the impact of what having a veteran point guard can do for Wembanyama's game. His chemistry with Chris Paul has been there from day one and it shouldn't take long for him to build a similar rapport with De'Aaron Fox.

For the last four years, the Fox and Domantas Sabonis pick-and-roll partnership was the engine of the Kings offense. This year he's been as dynamic and effective as ever, ranking in the 90th percentile in pick-and-roll effectiveness.

What Fox brings that Wemby hasn't had before is a point guard who wants to push the pace, but does it effectively. During his rookie season, there were a number of times when the Spurs would get out on the break, Vic would run the floor, have a clean look at the rim, and the ball just wouldn't find him.

With Fox, Vic now has a point guard who will actively look to get going in transition and find him for easy looks if he runs the floor. Look for the Spurs to get out in transition early and often from now on. If they can get Vic going downhill there isn't a defender on earth who can come between him and the rim consistently.

Devin Vassell reinvented as the San Antonio Spurs third option

Over the last two years, it's become clear that the Spurs were asking Devin Vassell to do something that he couldn't for the past two years. Vassell was asked to carry the Spurs alongside Victor Wembanyama and he's largely held up his end of the bargin. But the Spurs needed help.

De'Aaron Fox gets to step into a role as the number two option in San Antonio and free Vassell to focus on being the three-and-D superstar he seems better suited for. Both guys come away as winners here.

The Fox and Wembanyama two-man game is going to draw a lot of attention which should open up more kick-out looks for Vassell to cash in on. Devin's come a long way as an individual shot creator but where he's thrived is as a shot maker. He shot an elite 43 percent on catch-and-shoot threes in the '22-23 season, the last year before the Spurs asked him to create more on his own.

Fox carrying the playmaking load will free Vassell up throughout the game but I'll be particularly interested to see how the Devin, De'Aaron, and Vic trio come together in crunch minutes. A dynamic shot creator, a knock-down three-point shooter, and an alien. That should be enough to give any team trouble down the stretch.

Castle & Fox backcourt enough to give opposing defenses nightmares

Stephon Castle is putting together an encouraging Rookie of the Year campaign but clearly, the opportunity to get a proven commodity in De'Aaron Fox was too good of an opportunity for Brian Wright and the Spurs to pass up.

The partnership might take some time to iron out, but I see the vision. Castle has size, he's explosive, and he plays with a stone-faced intensity that screams star potential. His shot will need to develop, but that's not the only part of his game that you should keep an eye on.

Watch Castle's development as a cutter and screener. With Fox running the offense there are going to be a lot of possessions where Castle won't have the ball in his hands a ton. We know he can move the ball when it comes to him but how will we see him improve as an off-ball threat?

Castle is physical, strong as heck for his age, and has already shown a veteran control of pace and hesitation in the lane. He's creating a lot of his own looks today but if he can find spots in the offense to cut for a look at the rim, Fox should be able to find him with how wide-open the Spurs' offense looks like it will be.

San Antonio Spurs point guard De'Aaron Fox is the biggest winner of all

The biggest winner in all of this is the man of the hour himself, De'Aaron Fox. No more state income tax, back in the state you grew up in, and you get to be the point guard for one of the most storied franchises in the NBA and your teammate is a 21-year-old superhuman who might end up as the greatest player of all time. Not a bad situation to be in.

One of the biggest worries in any superstar trade is that in compiling the assets to land a star, a team might create a situation where even when they do acquire their superstar, they've so depleted their roster that their new situation isn't all that much better than the one they were just in. Things never get off the ground, and everything implodes around you. We call this "Being the Brooklyn Nets.'"

The Spurs don't have to worry about this at all. They kept their entire core intact for Fox to mesh with. He's got his reliable wing, he's got backup point guard help, and he's got a familiar, veteran presence in Harrison Barnes to help him learn the ropes; plus, he has his superstar in Vic. The world is his oyster.

All of those gifts don't come free of charge, however. The bill is the weight of great expectation. The standards are different in San Antonio than they are in Sacramento. The banners hanging in the rafters, that's the standard. Titles are always the goal, this trade was another step but the real work starts now. Let's hope De'Aaron Fox and his new team are up for it.

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