Dallas Mavericks fans had to sit back and watch their arch-rivals, the San Antonio Spurs, go to the NBA Finals in 2026. It ended in the New York Knicks historically winning the series in five games, and after it was all set and done, the main facilitator for the Spurs, De'Aaron Fox, was the one taking all the heat for not doing his part. The latest reports about Fox should have Mavericks fans pumped, considering he's on arguably the worst contract in the NBA right now.
Per Jared Weiss of The Athletic (subscription required), De'Aaron Fox is reportedly a "critical" part of the team's future. That's what Weiss got from team and league sources. Spurs general manager Brian Wright has Fox's back too, saying he has the "ultimate faith" in his veteran point guard.
Of course, Victor Wembanyama will continue to be the face of the team, but if Fox is going to continue as Wemby's right-hand man, cheers to that.
Mavericks fans should be laughing at Spurs backing De'Aaron Fox
Just in case we forgot how the NBA Finals went, Weiss put out a little nugget to refresh our memory.
The 28-year-old All-Star guard, who struggled in the five-game NBA Finals loss to the New York Knicks, is set to begin a four-year maximum extension for approximately $222 million.
Fox led the Sacramento Kings to their first playoff appearance in ages back in 2023. He averaged 27.4 points per game in the playoffs that year, but has dropped off significantly since then. Again, Wemby is getting the majority of the touches, but as a pick-and-roll handler, Fox is still touching the ball a ton and not doing much with it.
He also made one of the most controversial plays in the NBA Finals, when he ran to grab a rolling ball in the Knicks' end of the court, tried to go up for a layup with the Spurs up by one, and got blocked, and the Knicks got the ball. It's one play, but he will unfortunately be remembered for a long time in Spurs lore for that play.
From the Mavericks' standpoint, they have facilitators they are comfortable with. Kyrie Irving is obviously one of the greatest point guards of all time. He's going to come back and ball next to his young mate, Cooper Flagg.
They also have a young riser in Spain's Sergio de Larrea. He's got a long way to go to get to Irving or Fox, but he's a guy that Dusty May has a lot of trust in.
But best of all? The Mavericks don't have anybody on a contract like that. The Spurs backing Fox as being "critical" to their future is about the best news Mavs fans can hear this weekend.
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