The San Antonio Spurs may be on the verge of pulling off the league's next big blockbuster.
According to a bombshell report by NBA insider Shams Charania, the Sacramento Kings are "expected to open up talks" about possibly dealing All-Star De'Aaron Fox ahead of the February 6 trade deadline.
More notable -- Charania's ESPN cohort James Ham revealed in a follow-up report on X that the point guard's preferred destination would be San Antonio.
Considering his current status as one of the game's best backcourt talents coupled with the fact that he's only just entered his prime at the ripe age of 27, these recent news breaks should be incredibly exciting for both Spurs fans and team personnel to hear.
Pairing his highly versatile talents and 25.2 points, 6.2 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game averages on the year with the all-world juggernaut Victor Wembanyama would create one of the best one-two punches the league could offer.
However, in order for San Antonio to bring Fox's services aboard, GM Brian Wright must piece together an out-bound package that would entice Sacramento to partake in such a splashy exchange.
With their treasure trove of draft capital at their disposal, it's more than apparent that picks won't be an issue when it comes to concocting an offer. However, considering Fox's $34.8 million salary for 2024-25 and the $71.9 million owed to him between now and next season, creating space for him both on the books and the roster is where things get a bit tricky.
Fortunately, the Spurs have several players who could be included in an exchange to make things work, and there are three, in particular, who should be considered serious candidates to be moved should a trade like this go down.
Zach Collins
The Zach Collins tenure in San Antonio needs to come to an end. Perhaps a De'Aaron Fox trade could serve as a way to make this finally come to fruition.
As noted earlier, the point guard is making nearly $35 million in salary this season, meaning the Spurs have their work cut out for them to try and find a way to make the money work.
Collins currently ranks in with the fourth-highest payday on the club's books at $16.7 million and will be owed another $18 million if kept around for 2025-26.
Considering his checkered injury history and putrid play this year (4.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists), keeping him in tow is one of the last things the Spurs should be hoping to do.
By using his salary along with a couple of future first-round picks, San Antonio would already be halfway to making a deal for Fox become a reality.
Stephon Castle
Acquiring a player of Fox's ilk won't come cheap for the Spurs. In all likelihood, should the Kings ultimately opt to move their franchise point guard, it could then spark the beginning stages of an all-out rebuild out in Sactown
Teams in such situations tend to covet both ample draft capital and promising young prospects and while their influx of picks will certainly address the former, Stephon Castle could serve as an option to satiate this latter desire.
Without question, the idea of parting ways with the recently anointed rising star is absolutely grueling.
Since being selected fourth overall in this past June's NBA Draft, Castle has regularly flashed the high-end, dual-threat talents he came blazing into the league with following his one-and-done season at UConn and his impressive production as a starter (14.7 points, 4.2 assists, 2.8 rebounds) only further strengthens the notion that he could be a real difference-maker in the league.
However, should the Spurs be hell-bent on adding the star power of Fox, throwing Castle into a Sacramento-bound package could make their odds of completing a deal that much higher.
On the plus side, perhaps his involvement would lessen the amount of future picks the Kings ask for.
Devin Vassell
After objectively improving every year since being drafted 11 overall back in 2020 and putting forth a career-best campaign in 2023-24 with averages of 19.5 points, 4.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.1 steals on 47.2 percent shooting and 37.2 percent shooting from distance, the wing is playing through yet another tremendous season and is amid year one of a new five-year, $135 million deal.
His $29.3 million salary for 2024-25 alone almost matches Fox's, which would simplify the number of players that would need to be shipped out in a hypothetical exchange.
Though coughing up the 24-year-old sniper (posting 16.2 points on 38.2 percent shooting from deep) may be a tough pill the swallow, for one of the best point guards the game currently has to offer and in the effort of holding onto younger and far less expensive talents like Jeremey Sochan and Stephon Castle, his sacrifice may ultimately prove to be worth it for the Spurs.