De’Aaron Fox was acquired by the Spurs last season near the trade deadline for three first-round picks, Zach Collins, Tre Jones, and a handful of second-rounders. Overall, it was a considerably inexpensive
deal for the acquisition, provided that Fox could be what he was in Sacramento, where he was averaging 25 points and 6.1 assists. The Spurs then doubled down in the offseason and signed Fox to a maximum veteran extension. So, how has Fox performed for San Antonio?
Looking to the court, Fox showed flashes of his talent in his 27 games with San Antonio last year before sitting out the last 18 with a finger injury. This season, he had a late start due to hamstring trouble, but finally suited up on November 8th. Understandably, this might have caused some concern. Afterall, the Spurs have invested a lot in this player.
Now that he’s gotten a decent amount of reps in Silver and Black, what have the numbers shown? Through 21 games this season, he’s averaging 21.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists. These align perfectly with his career averages of 21.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 6.2 assists. Overall, his estimated plus/minus per Dunksandthrees.com has improved from +0.9 last year to +2.9 (91st percentile). In other words, he is still very much De’Aaron Fox.
What about clutch play, those being games within 5 minutes, within 5 points? Part of Fox’s appeal was his noted clutch performance in Sacramento, leading to him winning the inaugural clutch player of the year award in 2023. Last season, San Antonio ranked 19th in Clutch win percentage for the season.
In the 2025-2026 season, San Antonio is 12-3 in clutch play. 2nd in the league behind only the 10-0 Los Angeles Lakers. And while Fox has been part of that success, it hasn’t quite been his calling card yet. In the clutch, he’s shooting 36.4 on field goals and averaging 3 points. Not bad, albeit a small sample size, but still not his 2023 killer stats of 5 points on 52.9 percent shooting. Victor Wembanyama has technically been a little better, averaging 3.6 points on 45.5 percent shooting. Both are good, but after that, there are no Spurs in the top 50 in clutch scoring.
If that’s the case, then where is the clutch performance coming from?
In short, everywhere. If no single Spur is dominating in the clutch, while the team is winning 80 percent of close games, the only other explanation is that all of the Spurs are, together. As a team, San Antonio is averaging 11.1 points per clutch situation (5th in the league) on 48.5 percent field goals (6th in the league). Comparing that to Fox’s 2023 season, the Kings were averaging 11.5 points, and half of that was Fox. In San Antonio, that scoring has spread out. Fox and Wembanyama account for about half, with the remainder being filled by the rest of the team.
Basically, Fox doesn’t have to carry the burden all on himself. This bodes well for the Spurs in a few different ways. First and foremost, it shows Fox fits in with the culture. He isn’t approaching these situations demanding the ball in the last five minutes. His usage rate is high but Wembanyama’s is higher, while both are averaging 2.2 field goal attempts each in the clutch, a full attempt less than Fox’s 2023 clutch attempts of 3.5. Concurrently, this puts the team first. It shows they don’t feel the need to take over any more than they are, and aren’t forcing the issue. And it’s working.
Historically, Fox doesn’t fear the moment and can make plays in the clutch when he has to, but it’s notable that he hasn’t had to in order for this team to be successful. He can be his best self without having to carry that burden himself.
This isn’t an attribute exclusive to contenders, but it does hint that things are pointing in the right direction. The Team, above all else, is gelling. The Team can run the floor with any opponent on any given night. This is why the Spurs are 2nd in the loaded Western Conference. This is why they are contenders.
