Spurs will regret not learning lesson from Thunder with De'Aaron Fox extension

After signing star De'Aaron Fox to a max extension, many San Antonio Spurs fans wonder if they got a great deal. Especially after their rivals, the Oklahoma City Thunder, managed to save on extensions to Chet Holmgren and Jaylin Williams.

That will make it easier to keep them along with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Meanwhile, the Spurs giving Fox a max extension may be a sign that they are trying to cozy up to his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports.

Klutch Sports represents many of the NBA's top players, including LeBron James, and forming a relationship could help the Spurs in the long run. Even if it costs them salary-wise.

The Spurs may regret not saving on the De'Aaron Fox extension

Fox is firmly in his prime right now, and even with him under contract for the next five seasons, he'd still only be 32 years old by the last year of the extension. That gives the team time to see how he fits, and the Spurs won't feel a salary cap crunch until the 2028-29 season.

By then, both De'Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama are on max contracts. San Antonio would also be paying Devin Vassell $27 million, and then there are possible extensions to Jeremy Sochan and Stephon Castle.

That's when paying Fox several million less than the max would have made a big difference. Instead, the Spurs will have to be extremely careful about their books going forward.

That could mean them eventually trading Vassell for two rotation players, preferably on expiring contracts. It also gives them more incentive to try and lock up Sochan on a team-friendly deal to claw back the salary spent on Fox.

The Spurs can still contend with the Oklahoma City Thunder

It's not all doom and gloom, cap-wise, far from it. The Spurs are still well-positioned to contend. If Wembanyama becomes a top-five player or even the best player in the NBA and can stay healthy for most of his career, then San Antonio should be instant contenders.

Having an elite player is usually a recipe for the playoffs, and having any semblance of talent around that player means they could be perennial contenders. If Fox can continue to play at a high level and Wembanyama reaches his full potential, then the Spurs could rival the Thunder. And if Castle and/or Harper live up to expectations, then they could quickly emerge as the team to beat, leapfrogging OKC.

Overall, the Thunder did well to get Holmgren and Williams to take less to keep their core together, something the Spurs didn't do with Fox. However, if Wembanyama is the player we all hope, Fox plays at his current level, and Castle and/or Harper hit, then the Spurs could quickly surpass the Thunder, making it a moot point.