Spurs staring at brutal De'Aaron Fox decision that will shape their future

The San Antonio Spurs may have a training camp battle on their hands, and it could be a brutal one involving De'Aaron Fox. Fox is the Spurs' highest-paid player but is coming off an awful NBA Finals run and has a rising star playing behind him.

He'll have to fend off Dylan Harper to maintain his starting point guard spot next season, but that will be far from easy. After all, Harper may already be better than Fox.

That's a tantalizing thought but also a scary one. Having Harper already be better than a two-time All-Star proves that he has an extraordinarily high ceiling, even for a second overall pick. Scary, because it could mean that Fox has regressed enough to be surpassed by a rising second-year player.

A training camp battle is brewing between De'Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper

Coach Mitch Johnson probably won't advertise that starting point guard is a training camp battle, but it actually might be. He will likely back up Fox next season, but Harper is too good to be coming off the bench.

That doesn't mean that he can't outplay him in training camp and the preseason.

Hopefully Harper entering training camp with something to prove will help him make a huge leap next season. On the flip side, that could give Fox a much-needed kick in the shorts to up his game and come out swinging next season as well.

Having both Fox and Harper motivated only helps the Spurs and could make them far better the next season.

Fox and Harper could push each other to be great

Of course, there is the worst-case scenario in which Fox plays like he did last regular season, with him declining month over month and playing like a shadow of his former Sacramento Kings self.

In that case, things can get very awkward in San Antonio very fast. Harper is expected to play a much larger role, and the gap between him and Fox could soon close.

Harper is clearly the future at point guard, and the Spurs obviously know that. However, the Silver and Black are still committed to Fox and are willing to give him a second chance after his NBA Finals flameout.

Dylan Harper is the point guard of the future for the Spurs

That is ultimately the right call with him still having plenty of untapped potential. If he can play at even 80% of his peak Kings level, he would still be a 20-point and five-assist per-game player.

Getting that version of Fox would not only make him better but his teammates better too. It would also make his contract look better and make it easier to move when the time comes.

Overall, barring something surprising happening in training camp, Fox appears to be set in stone to start at point guard. He may ultimately only be keeping that seat warm for Harper, who could be in for a breakout sophomore season. Fortunately, he could help push Fox to be better than he was last year, and that would be a win-win for the Spurs.

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