By Mike Finger, Columnist | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-07-26 15:34:04
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。
2025年2月7日周五，在北卡罗来纳州夏洛特举行的一场NBA篮球比赛上半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) (4号) 正在寻找传球机会，左侧为夏洛特黄蜂队前锋穆萨·迪亚巴特 (Moussa Diabate)。当马刺队在二月份交易得到福克斯时，他们无从得知迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 会在选秀抽签中落入他们手中。随着福克斯的顶薪续约迫近，这位后卫在未来几年将为马刺队提供多种选择，助力他们继续打造强大的后卫群。
大约一周后，马刺队就可以贯彻他们六个月前的计划了。他们可以锁定一位明星球员，上个冬天他与球队的契合度好到令人难以置信，而这应该会让达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 的岳父母欣喜若狂。
他们曾在圣安东尼奥抚养女儿长大。很快，她和她的丈夫将能够负担得起贝尔县的任何一套房子。
大概是为了长期居住。
8月3日，福克斯将有资格签署一份价值近2.23亿美元的四年期合同续约。当马刺队在二月初交易得到这位28岁的控球后卫时，签署这份合同似乎只是走个过场。
福克斯是NBA最受追捧的组织者之一，即将迎来他职业生涯的巅峰，他已经向萨克拉门托明确表示，圣安东尼奥是他交易中的首选目的地。马刺队利用这一优势，得以在没有放弃任何最宝贵资产的情况下，为维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 得到一个梦幻般的挡拆搭档。
在马刺队长期争冠的愿景中，福克斯至关重要。
那么现在呢？
选秀抽签球又一次幸运的跳动可能改变了局面，但这不应该改变（球队对福克斯的）看法。
如果总经理布莱恩·莱特 (Brian Wright) 今天面临两难选择，那也是至少25支其他球队管理层都梦寐以求的。当他交易得到福克斯时，莱特无从得知他也有机会选中迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper)。现在马刺队拥有两名主要控球后卫，他们看起来都能够最大限度地发挥过去两届NBA年度最佳新秀的才华，并且有能力在未来十年将他们全部锁定在球队。
问题是，他们应该这样做吗？
对于福克斯来说，这不一定是一个非此即彼的答案。即将到来的续约有多种处理细节的方式，对马刺队而言，没有一种是糟糕的。
这里需要记住的是：赢得哈珀的选秀权并不意味着马刺队不应该进行福克斯的交易，那仍然是一笔绝对划算的交易。如果说有什么不同的话，那就是它为马刺队提供了更多组建一支赢球阵容的潜在途径。
最简单的选择是给福克斯签下顶薪合同，让哈珀和斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 按照自己的节奏继续进步，并在过程中找到最佳组合。他们三人都能够打控球后卫，但哈珀拥有得分后卫般的体型和技术特点，而卡斯尔最擅长的可能是他的侧翼防守能力。
他们中任何一人三分球能力的提升都可能让这种组合变得精英化，如果未能奏效，交易福克斯将始终是一个可行的备用方案。经验丰富、能改变战局的控球后卫总是有价值的，而福克斯的市场价值近期内也不会崩盘。
但是，如果有一种方法可以减少福克斯和哈珀变得冗余的潜在弊端，同时又保留福克斯赚取大笔财富用于在贝尔县或其他地方购买豪宅的能力呢？如果马刺队和福克斯都认为六个月前的计划仍然可行，但同时又觉得在未来几年给自己留一些灵活性是有意义的，那又如何呢？
与其签订一份持续到2030-31赛季的顶薪续约，福克斯是否可以接受一份年薪不变但更短的合同，例如直到2027-28或2028-29赛季，也许还包含球员选项呢？
2025年4月13日周日，在圣安东尼奥的霜冻银行中心，马刺队本赛季的最后一场比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队的德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell)（左起）、维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 和达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 正在交谈，观看他们的队友对阵多伦多猛龙队。随着福克斯的顶薪续约迫近，这位后卫在未来几年将为马刺队提供多种选择，助力他们继续打造强大的后卫群，其中包括斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 和榜眼秀迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper)。
在马刺队希望带着他们的年轻核心首次进入季后赛之际，拥有一位以关键表现著称的老将显得至关重要。但如果那位老将选择在几个赛季后去其他地方寻求一份更长、更丰厚的合同，对于一支拥有哈珀和卡斯尔的球队来说，这也不一定是件坏事。
还有一种观点，来自梦幻联赛玩家，他们建议马刺队应该尽快交易福克斯，现在能从他身上获得什么就拿什么。但这种说法没有多大意义，原因有二。
首先，这低估了福克斯的实力。他二月份只和文班亚马一起打了几个星期，但这足以看出马刺队为何长期以来一直将他视为理想的控球后卫目标。去年二月，其他西部强队都不愿看到圣安东尼奥完成这笔交易，这已是公开的秘密。
马刺队不急于交易福克斯的第二个原因是，这与他们至少四分之一世纪以来所展示的运作方式背道而驰。福克斯想留在圣安东尼奥。他让马刺队得以用两名不在他们未来计划中的球员、一个变成了次轮签的夏洛特选秀权、一个从未保证能兑现的芝加哥选秀权，以及两个可能最终落在20顺位左右的首轮签，换来了一个所有人都想要的球员。
那么，几个月后，马刺队就应该把他送到其他地方，离开他妻子长大的城市，离开他从远处就表现出信任的球队吗？这会向马刺队希望吸引的其他明星球员发出怎样的信息？这又将如何诠释他们使用“承诺”这类词语的方式？
最早下周，他们就可以向福克斯——以及他的岳父母——表明他们没有改变主意。
即便他们已经增加了新的选择。
San Antonio Spurs De’Aaron Fox (4) works against Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, in Atlanta. When the Spurs traded for Fox in February, they had no way of knowing Dylan Harper would fall into their laps in the draft lottery. With Fox’s max extension looming, the guard gives the Spurs options in the coming years as they move forward with a strong stable of guards.
San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (4) shoots against Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, March 1, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. When the Spurs traded for Fox in February, they had no way of knowing Dylan Harper would fall into their laps in the draft lottery. With Fox’s max extension looming, the guard gives the Spurs options in the coming years as they move forward with a strong stable of guards.
San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (4) attempts a layup in front of New Orleans Pelicans center Karlo Matkovic (17) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. When the Spurs traded for Fox in February, they had no way of knowing Dylan Harper would fall into their laps in the draft lottery. With Fox’s max extension looming, the guard gives the Spurs options in the coming years as they move forward with a strong stable of guards.
San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (4) plays in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies Saturday, March 1, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. When the Spurs traded for Fox in February, they had no way of knowing Dylan Harper would fall into their laps in the draft lottery. With Fox’s max extension looming, the guard gives the Spurs options in the coming years as they move forward with a strong stable of guards.
San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) and San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (4) talk as they wait for the starting line up to be announced before taking on the Dallas Mavericks at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. With Fox’s max extension looming, the guard gives the Spurs options in the coming years as they move forward with a strong stable of guards that includes Castle and No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper.
San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper looks on from the bench during the first half of an NBA summer league basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Thursday, July 10, 2025, in Las Vegas. When the Spurs traded for De’Aaron Fox in February, they had no way of knowing Harper would fall into their laps in the draft lottery. With Fox’s max extension looming, the guard gives the Spurs options in the coming years as they move forward with a strong stable of guards.
点击查看原文：De'Aaron Fox still integral for Spurs despite drafting Dylan Harper
De’Aaron Fox still integral for Spurs despite drafting Dylan Harper
San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (4) looks to pass the ball ahead of Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, Feb. 7, 2025. When the Spurs traded for Fox in February, they had no way of knowing Dylan Harper would fall into their laps in the draft lottery. With Fox’s max extension looming, the guard gives the Spurs options in the coming years as they move forward with a strong stable of guards.
In about a week, the Spurs can follow through on their plan from six months ago. They can commit to a star whose fit last winter looked too good to be true, and this should make De’Aaron Fox’s in-laws ecstatic.
They raised their daughter in San Antonio. Soon she and her husband will be able to afford any house in Bexar County.
Presumably to keep.
On August 3, Fox will be eligible to sign a four-year contract extension worth almost $223 million. When the Spurs traded for the 28-year-old point guard in early February, putting pen to paper on that deal seemed like a formality.
Fox, one of the NBA’s most coveted playmakers heading into what should be the prime of his career, had made it clear to Sacramento that San Antonio was his preferred destination in a trade. The Spurs, capitalizing on that leverage, were able to acquire a dream pick-and-roll partner for Victor Wembanyama without giving up any of their most prized assets.
In the Spurs’ vision for long-term championship contention, Fox was integral.
And now?
Another lucky bounce of the lottery ball might have changed the math, but it shouldn’t change the sentiment.
If general manager Brian Wright has a dilemma today, it’s one that at least 25 other front offices would love to have. When he traded for Fox, Wright had no way of knowing he’d get the chance to draft Dylan Harper, too. Now the Spurs have two lead guards who look capable of maximizing the talents of the last two NBA Rookies of the Year, and the ability to lock down all of them into the next decade.
The question is, should they?
With Fox, it doesn’t need to be a yes-or-no answer. There are multiple ways to handle the details of an extension that should be coming soon, and for the Spurs, none of them are bad.
That’s the thing to remember here: Winning the rights to Harper doesn’t mean the Spurs shouldn’t have done the Fox deal, which remains an absolute steal. If anything, it just gave them more potential avenues to assembling a winning roster.
The simplest option is signing Fox to the max, letting Harper and Stephon Castle keep improving at their own pace, and figuring out the mix along the way. All three are capable of playing the point, but Harper has the size and skill set to finish like a shooting guard, and Castle’s best attribute might be his ability to defend the wing.
Improved 3-point shooting from any of them could make that combination elite, and if it doesn’t work out that way, trading Fox always will remain a viable back-up plan. Experienced, difference-making point guards always have value, and the market for Fox doesn’t figure to implode any time soon.
But what if there’s a way to lessen the potential downside of Fox and Harper becoming redundant, while preserving Fox’s ability to make lots and lots of money to spend on mansions in Bexar County, or elsewhere? What if the Spurs and Fox both decide that the plan from six months ago is still a good one, but that it makes sense to give themselves some flexibility in a couple of years?
Instead of agreeing on a max extension that runs through the 2030-31 season, what if Fox takes a shorter deal still paying him the same annual amount, but through 2027-28 or 2028-29, perhaps with a player option?
San Antonio Spurs’ Devin Vassell, from left, Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox chat as they watch their teammates take on the Toronto Raptors in the Spurs’ last game of the season at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Sunday, April 13, 2025. With Fox’s max extension looming, the guard gives the Spurs options in the coming years as they move forward with a strong stable of guards that includes Castle and No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper.
As the Spurs make what they hope will be their first couple of playoff trips with their young core, having a veteran known for his clutch performances around figures to be crucial. But if that veteran decides to pursue a longer, richer deal elsewhere after a couple of seasons, that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing for a team with Harper and Castle in the fold.
There’s another argument, made by the fantasy-league types, suggesting the Spurs should trade Fox as soon as they can and get whatever they can for him now. There are two reasons why this doesn’t make much sense.
The first is that it undersells how good Fox is. He was able to play with Wembanyama for only a couple of weeks in February, but that was enough to see why the Spurs long had targeted him as their ideal point-guard target. It was no secret that other Western Conference powers hated seeing San Antonio pull off that deal last February.
The second reason why the Spurs are in no hurry to flip Fox is that it runs counter to everything they’ve showed us about how they operate for at least a quarter-century. Fox wanted to be in San Antonio. He made it possible for the Spurs to land a player everybody wanted for two guys who weren’t part of their future, a Charlotte pick that became a second-rounder, a Chicago pick never guaranteed to convey, and two first-rounders that might end up in the 20s.
So, a few months later, the Spurs are supposed to ship him elsewhere, away from the city where his wife was raised, away from the organization he showed faith in from afar? What message would that send to other stars the Spurs might hope to attract? What would that say about the way they use terms like “commitment?”
As early as next week, they can show Fox — and his in-laws — they haven’t changed their minds.
Even if they’ve added to their options.
By Mike Finger, Columnist, via San Antonio Express-News