De'Aaron Fox's best season happens now for painfully obvious reason

There's a lot of reason for San Antonio Spurs fans to feel confident in De'Aaron Fox next season. It feels like the pieces are falling into place for the star guard to come out firing and prove what kind of duo he and Victor Wembanyama can be.

Fox has been counted out plenty of times. He's not consistently mentioned among the best guards in the association, and as a high-level competitor, you notice things like that. On top of that, he made it known prior to the trade that he wanted to be in San Antonio. Both those factors are enough to be buying a lot of Fox's stock for next season.

That shared certainty between player and organization is more powerful than people realize. Too often in the league we see mismatches where teams force the fit and athletes feel awkward in foreign systems. Fox entering a roster where Wembanyama is the clear focal point feels different.

Remember, this is the first time Fox is stepping onto a team built around a complementary star with a high ceiling. In Sacramento, he had his flashes of greatness, but the supporting cast was never fully built out in a way that maximized his output. Now, with Wembanyama demanding so much attention, Fox gets cleaner lanes for his downhill slashes and mid-range pull-ups. And that is how this season becomes potentially the most exciting one of his career.

Fox is poised for a fantastic 2025-26

Beyond the star pair, the Spurs have stitched together perimeter defenders who will give Fox room to shift at his pace. Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, and incoming rotational pieces mean that Fox won’t have to carry the burden of creation every night. He gets to be the confident lead guard surrounded by movement.

And again, the factor of Fox wanting to be in San Antonio matters a lot. That mentality creates a drive that's hard to replicate any other way, and perhaps that hunger will fuel how he starts the season.

Yes, there are still questions. Can he stay healthy for a full 82? Can the offense click in time? Those remain to be answered. But none of those questions feel as urgent as they would have back in Sacramento.

This year will not truly be about whether Fox withstands the pressure to carry an entire franchise. Instead, it will be about whether he can step into this kind of environment and thrive. He has consistently shown that he is up to a challenge, and now he has a lot working in his favor as well.