By Mike Finger, Columnist | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-02-03 00:19:32
由生成式人工智能翻译,译文内容可能不准确或不完整,以原文为准。
萨克拉门托国王队正在寻求交易高得分后卫德阿隆·福克斯,而他更倾向于加入马刺队,因为他的妻子在圣安东尼奥长大。
他们又做到了。
他们又一次全身而退。
两年半前,在一个炎热的仲夏午后,马刺队策划了十年来最明目张胆的篮球盗窃案之一。周日晚上,随着那次抢劫所得的巨额收益仍在源源不断地涌入,他们又增加了自己的战利品。
现在,他们拥有了梦寐以求的、速度奇快、关键时刻值得信赖、在德克萨斯州长大的控球后卫。为了得到德阿隆·福克斯(De’Aaron Fox),这位世界上最有天赋的21岁球员的理想挡拆搭档,马刺队被迫放弃了什么?
不是他们的前八名得分手中的任何一个。
也不是他们四个24岁及以下的乐透秀中的任何一个,他们最终还能继续并肩作战。
而且不知何故,也不是他们六个最珍贵的未来选秀权中的任何一个,包括他们在光天化日之下抢来的、仍然掌握着控制权的三个亚特兰大首轮签。
在某些司法管辖区,这样的交易可能被视为犯罪。
首席执行官R.C. 布福德和总经理布莱恩·莱特(Brian Wright)是如何做到的?他们是如何让联盟其他球队允许他们这样做的?
耐心和远见起了作用。而且按照圣安东尼奥的伟大传统,还有一点好运的加持。
马刺队交易得到福克斯并不是本周末最令人震惊的NBA抢劫案。不到24小时之前,洛杉矶湖人队就得到了联盟前五的球员之一,甚至都不需要出价竞争。当然,福克斯不是卢卡·东契奇。
但是27岁的他非常适合马刺队正在打造的阵容,而且他们已经这样想了很久了。当去年传出特雷·杨可能被交易时,他们对他毫无兴趣,这并非巧合。
当然,杨所在的亚特兰大老鹰队正是开启这一切的交易伙伴。2022年6月,他们将三个首轮签——加上第四个首轮签的互换权——送给了马刺队,换来了德章泰·穆雷,穆雷曾在圣安东尼奥入选全明星,但他与球队的长期计划并不相符。
送走穆雷让马刺队得以摆烂,并在维克多·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)成为状元秀的那一年最大限度地提高他们的乐透抽签概率。这很奏效。
至于那些选秀权?事实证明,他们只需要使用其中一个——最不理想的那个,一个受乐透保护的2025年夏洛特选秀权,几乎肯定会变成次轮签——就得到了福克斯。
其余的代价低得令人震惊。扎克·科林斯和特雷·琼斯在社区和更衣室里都表现出色,而且两人在场上也都有高光时刻,但他们主要是在马刺队准备好再次争冠之前起到过渡作用。
西迪·西索科是一个未经雕琢的前二轮秀,他可能会成为一名NBA常规轮换球员,但也可能永远无法进入10人轮换阵容。
然后还有一个原本属于芝加哥的首轮签,在接下来的三年里都受到保护,以及马刺队在2027年的首轮签,届时他们预计会在选秀大会的末尾进行选择。
在接下来的七年里,他们仍然拥有六个自己的首轮签。
他们仍然拥有达拉斯在2030年的首轮签权(届时新加盟的安东尼·戴维斯将37岁)。
他们仍然拥有萨克拉门托在2031年的首轮签权(届时多曼塔斯·萨博尼斯将35岁)。
他们仍然拥有亚特兰大在2025年和2027年的无保护首轮签,以及在2026年与老鹰队互换选秀权的权利。
所以回顾一下,马刺队在2022年那个仲夏午后交易穆雷得到了什么?
控制亚特兰大未来三年的选秀权。
还有文班亚马。
现在,还有他们未来的控球后卫。
盗窃不应该有这么高的回报。是的,马刺队很幸运。乐透抽签的球落在了他们这边,然后萨克拉门托对球队的阵容管理不善,以至于福克斯在那里看不到未来。
但马刺队已经为后一种情况做好了准备。他们知道福克斯在休斯顿长大,他们知道他的妻子在圣安东尼奥长大,而且他们长期以来一直与Klutch Sports保持着良好的关系,这家经纪公司代理着穆雷、凯尔登·约翰逊和福克斯。
他们知道,如果萨克拉门托的情况恶化,福克斯会把南德克萨斯视为理想的避风港。他们是对的。
然而,目前还不清楚他们是否曾经想过他们需要付出的代价会比实际付出的更多。斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)在福克斯的交易中是不可触碰的,这是有充分理由的。但是马刺队是否愿意放弃德文·瓦塞尔,或者杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan),或者约翰逊?
我们永远不会知道,因为他们不必这样做。从所有意图和目的来看,这笔交易是无风险的。
如果说有什么风险的话,那就是今年8月,福克斯有资格重新谈判他的薪水,并签署一份为期四年、价值2.29亿美元的续约合同,该合同将于2026-27赛季开始生效。通过周日的交易,马刺队相当强烈地暗示他们愿意提出这份报价。而福克斯在上周国王队将他摆上货架后表示,圣安东尼奥是他的首选目的地,这也相当强烈地暗示他愿意签下这份合同。
如果他真的签了,他将成为马刺队历史上薪水最高的球员。为了配得上这份合同,他需要继续证明他能够像在国王队爆发期间那样冷静地终结比赛,而且他可能需要提高他的三分球命中率。
这笔交易不会让马刺队立即成为争冠球队。但是考虑到他们为了将福克斯、文班亚马、卡斯尔和所有这些未来资产组合在一起所付出的代价?
他们作为大师级窃贼的地位是无可争议的。
Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) looks at the scoreboard during the second half of the team’s NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs in Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. The Kings won 127-122. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)
Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) shoots against San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, left, shoots against San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, right, shoots against San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) drives to the basket against San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan, center, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 6: Jeremy Sochan #10 of the San Antonio Spurs tries to drive by De’Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings and Orlando Robinson in the second half at Frost Bank Center on December 6, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
点击查看原文:In landing De'Aaron Fox, San Antonio Spurs continue a master heist
In landing De’Aaron Fox, San Antonio Spurs continue a master heist
The Sacramento Kings are looking to trade high-scoring guard De’Aaron Fox, and his preference is to join the Spurs in his wife’s hometown of San Antonio.
They did it again.
They got away with it.
Two and a half years ago, on a hot midsummer afternoon, the Spurs orchestrated one of the most brazen basketball thefts of the decade. Sunday night, with the obscenely lucrative proceeds of that heist still pouring in, they added to their haul.
Now they have the crazy-quick, certifiably clutch, Texas-raised point guard they coveted all along. And to acquire De’Aaron Fox, their dream pick-and-roll partner for the most talented 21-year-old in the world, what were the Spurs forced to give up?
Not any of their top eight scorers.
Not any of the four age 24-and-under lottery selections who get to stick together after all.
And somehow, not any of their six most prized future draft picks, including the trio of Atlanta first-rounders they swiped in broad daylight and still control.
In some jurisdictions, a bargain like that might be considered a crime.
How did CEO R.C. Buford and general manager Brian Wright pull this off? How did they get the rest of the league to let them?
Patience and foresight helped. And in grand San Antonio tradition, so did a little good fortune.
The Spurs’ trade for Fox wasn’t the most stunning NBA robbery of the weekend. Less than 24 hours earlier, the Los Angeles Lakers were gifted with one of the top five players in basketball without even having to outbid anyone. And to be sure, Fox is no Luka Doncic.
But at 27, he’s a perfect fit for what the Spurs are building, and they’ve thought so for a while. It’s no coincidence they had no interest in pursuing Atlanta’s Trae Young when he was rumored to be available last year.
Young’s Hawks, of course, are the trading partner that got all of this rolling. In June 2022, they sent three first-round picks – plus the swap rights for a fourth – to the Spurs for Dejounte Murray, who had been an All-Star in San Antonio but didn’t mesh with the franchise’s long-term plan.
Dumping Murray allowed the Spurs to bottom out and maximize their lottery odds the year Victor Wembanyama was the top prize. That worked out pretty well.
As for those draft picks? As it turned out, they only needed to use one of them – the least desirable one, a lottery-protected 2025 Charlotte pick all but certain to become a second-rounder – to land Fox.
The rest of the cost was shockingly modest. Zach Collins and Tre Jones were great in the community and in the locker room, and both had their moments on the floor, but they mainly were around to bridge the gap until the Spurs were ready to contend again.
Sidy Cissoko is a raw former second-rounder who might become an NBA regular, but also might never crack a 10-man rotation.
Then there was a first-round pick that belonged to Chicago in the first place and was protected for the next three years, and the Spurs’ first-rounder in 2027, when they expect to be selecting near the end of the night.
They still have their own first-rounder in six of the next seven years.
They still have the rights to Dallas’ first-rounder in 2030 (when the newly acquired Anthony Davis will be 37).
They still have the rights to Sacramento’s first-rounder in 2031 (when Domantas Sabonis will be 35).
And they still have Atlanta’s unprotected first-rounders in 2025 and 2027, plus the right to swap with the Hawks in 2026.
So looking back on it, what do the Spurs have to show for trading Murray on that midsummer afternoon in 2022?
Control of Atlanta’s next three drafts.
Plus Wembanyama.
Plus, now, their point guard of the future.
Larceny shouldn’t pay this well. Yes, the Spurs got lucky. The lottery balls bounced their way, and then Sacramento mismanaged its roster to the point where Fox saw no future there.
But the Spurs had prepared for the latter to happen. They knew Fox grew up in Houston, and they knew his wife grew up in San Antonio, and they’d long fostered a respectful relationship with Klutch Sports, the agency that represents Murray, Keldon Johnson and Fox.
They knew that if things ever soured in Sacramento, Fox would see South Texas as an ideal escape. And they were right.
It’s unclear, though, if they ever thought they’d need to pay more than they did. Stephon Castle was off-limits in a Fox trade, for good reason. But would the Spurs have been willing to part with Devin Vassell, or with Jeremy Sochan, or with Johnson?
We’ll never know, because they didn’t have to. For all intents and purposes, this trade was risk-free.
The gamble, if there is one, will come this August, when Fox is eligible to renegotiate his salary and to sign a four-year, $229-million extension that would begin in 2026-’27. By making Sunday’s deal, the Spurs hinted pretty heavily they’re open to making that offer. And by signaling after the Kings made him available last week that San Antonio was his destination of choice, Fox hinted pretty heavily he’s open to signing it.
If he does, he’ll become the highest-paid Spurs player in history. To live up to that, he’ll need to keep proving he can close games as coolly as he did during his Kings breakout, and he’ll probably need to improve his 3-point stroke.
This trade doesn’t make the Spurs instant championship contenders. But considering what they’ve paid to put Fox, Wembanyama, Castle, and all those future assets together?
Their status as master thieves is indisputable.
By Mike Finger, Columnist, via San Antonio Express-News