Trae Young's massive payday validates Spurs' De'Aaron Fox decision

Trae Young is reportedly going to sign a new contract with the Wizards worth $212 million over four years, according to Shams Charania. It's a horrendous deal, as there was nobody on the market who would have paid the former Hawks franchise guard an average of $53 million a year. Good thing for him, Washington is still Washington.

However, some Spurs fans wanted Young before the front office settled on acquiring De'Aaron Fox. We should thank Brian Wright and his staff again and again for not making the wrong decision at that moment. There's no guarantee that San Antonio would have had the magical season they just had with that dynamic.

Fox was the better player then. He's the better player now. But whether you agree with that or not, there's also the matter of Ice Trae's humongous ego that flies under the radar in these discussions. And when you look at the totality of who these guys are, Swipa was always the right choice.

De'Aaron Fox gave the Spurs exactly what they needed

Keep in mind that the recent swell to move on from San Antonio's speedy point guard has little to do with his status as a talented player. It's more about the embarrassment of riches the Silver and Black have with Dylan Harper waiting in the wings.

People may be mad at how he performed in the NBA Finals, but Fox had a great season. He came in expecting to be the second option behind Victor Wembanyama, but he ended up as the third on many nights, with Stephon Castle running the show.

You didn't hear the man complain about it once. He just went out there, took advantage of the opportunities he was given, and averaged 19 points on 49% shooting. His presence was essential to the growth we saw throughout the season, and the quick-twitch finisher poured in buckets when his team needed him to on more than a few occasions.

Trae Young's contract proves the Spurs chose wisely

Meanwhile, Trae Young was stuck in Atlanta as their front office was trying to move him for years without any success. There weren't many takers, and when they finally agreed to a trade, it was for an undersized veteran guard past his prime in CJ McCollum. It wasn't a great return, but at that point, they seemed willing to take anything to move on.

The Hawks had reached a point where their roster was performing better without him on the floor, and that was easy to see because he didn't play much. During the 2025-26 campaign, Young suffered from knee sprains, quad contusions, and back problems that held him out for all but 15 total games (10 in Atlanta and 5 in Washington).

The money here isn't the sole issue. It's the player. It's the personality. It's the flexibility that Fox has provided over the corner that adding Young would have pigeonholed the Spurs into. He's a specific player who needs a specific structure to take advantage of his abilities, while still leaving you compromised because of his size.

So, if we're recapping, Washington just committed over $200 million to a player they've barely seen on the floor. The Spurs already made an NBA Finals run with Fox next to Victor Wembanyama. Yeah. They made the right choice.

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