Spurs' decision to trade for De'Aaron Fox looks better with each passing game

The San Antonio Spurs are doing everything correctly right now. Business is booming, as the team is suddenly challenging the Oklahoma City Thunder for the top spot in the Western Conference.

One of the main reasons for the team's current success is that they're not letting the allure of what No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper will provide in the future distract the team from what De'Aaron Fox does provide right now.

There is no controversy in the backcourt. Everyone knows Fox is the go-to guy, and Harper is a backup who can develop at his own pace. Harper is coming along faster than anyone thought he would, but he remains second fiddle to Fox, and that's how it should be. Harper will get his shot; for now, we must let De'Aaron Fox cook.

This is why acquiring Fox last year was so brilliant, and why drafting Harper was still the right move; Fox is an All-Star caliber point guard in 2025, and the Spurs want to win in 2025. Harper's upside is obvious every night, but he can't dominate the defending champs quite yet like Fox did on Christmas day. Fox was the game's leading scorer with 29 points, treating a historically good defense like they were a G League team.

The De'Aaron Fox trade keeps aging better for the Spurs

When a trade works as well as this one has for the Spurs, it's easy to claim that it was an obvious move all along. But we've seen so many trades for star players not work out that even fits that seem obvious may not be.

De'Aaron Fox in San Antonio has been as good as advertised, and every time he dominates as he did on Christmas, it looks even better. That game by itself almost made the trade worth it. Just kidding. Kind of.

It may feel like Fox has been a Spur for a while because the deal took place almost 11 months ago. But he's played 39 total games with the team. Less than half a season! Now healthy and acclimated to his surroundings, it feels like we're seeing the fully unlocked version of De'Aaron Fox as opposed to the free trial version.

NBA teams often believe that they must pick one clear direction at every position; either it's manned by proven veterans or unproven young players. The San Antonio Spurs are not abiding by that belief at point guard. Fox brings the steady veteran presence while Harper brings the fun unknown. It's a perfect balance.