De’Aaron Fox is the glue Spurs knew they needed when critics didn’t get it

When the San Antonio Spurs acquired De'Aaron Fox, many questioned why they'd bring in another inefficient three-point shooter to play alongside Rookie of the Year favorite—and eventual winner—Stephon Castle. After San Antonio drafted Dylan Harper, the same question was asked when it still proceeded to sign Fox to a four-year, $229 million contract extension.

Fast forward to the final weeks of the 2025-26 regular season and it's not all that difficult to understand why the Spurs were so eager to keep Fox in San Antonio: He's their glue.

Victor Wembanyama is the anchor on defense and an overwhelming force on offense. Castle and Harper represent the future as two-way players with positional versatility, tremendous defensive upside, impressive court vision, and thrilling shot creation potential.

Fox, meanwhile, is the 28-year-old veteran of the group who has made everyone around him better as the Spurs have overcome adversity to run away with the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

When Wembanyama missed 12 games early in 2025-26, it was Fox who took over. He averaged 25.2 points and 6.2 assists per game, and led the Spurs to an improbable 9-3 record. Crazy as those numbers may seem, they're almost identical to the 25.1 points and 6.1 assists he averaged between his final four full seasons with the Sacramento Kings.

And yet, when Wembanyama returned to the lineup, Fox selflessly accepted his status as the second option while never seeming to care about who gets the spotlight.

De'Aaron Fox makes all of the Spurs' moving pieces fit together

The appeal of Fox's presence isn't just that he can step up when Wembanyama is either absent or struggling. It's the simple fact that he's not just an experienced player, but an individual who elevates almost everyone around him.

That's evident in the fact that many of the Spurs' most important players have experienced extreme increases in efficiency when he's been on the court.

Wembanyama, for instance, is shooting 39.5 percent from beyond the arc when Fox is on the court and 26.7 percent when he isn't. Castle continues the trend by burying 34.2 percent of his attempts with Fox on the floor and 27.1 percent without him.

Even Devin Vassell, a 38.6 percent three-point shooter in 2025-26, is burying 42.1 percent of his attempts with Fox on the court and 33.9 percent without him.

Compounded by the fact that Fox, a former Clutch Player of the Year award winner, is shooting at a clip of .519/.375/.778 during the fourth quarter, his value is unavoidable. Perhaps questions about the future may still exist, but he's been a driving force behind San Antonio being able to compete for a championship in the present.

If nothing else, the experience the Spurs are gaining as a contender will prove invaluable to any future accomplishments they manage. Fox will have played a pivotal role in shaping what they become.