Why the Brooklyn Nets Should Avoid Trading for De'Aaron Fox

The Nets are in the market for a big star. They shouldn't make a move for De'Aaron Fox.

Jun 10, 2026; New York, New York, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard De'aaron Fox (4) brings the ball up court against the New York Knicks during the fourth quarter of game four of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

It's no secret that the Brooklyn Nets are looking for a big fish this offseason. They've been in tons of trade rumors surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo, Donovan Mitchell, and Domantas Sabonis, among others. The latest rumors are linking them with a current San Antonio Spurs guard.

De'Aaron Fox was the Spurs' big trade deadline pickup in 2025 and has helped lead them to the NBA Finals this season. He's a career 21.1 point per game scorer, to go along with 3.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.4 steals a night. The 28-year-old was named to his second-career All-Star game this past season.

On the surface, Fox seems like an ideal big name for the Nets to target this offseason. The Spurs have a young star in Dylan Harper who will look to start next season. Fox's name will be involved in trade conversations. Sean Marks should not answer the phone if the Spurs call.

The first big problem with Fox is his contract. He's in the first season of a four-year, $221 million extension that will pay him $53, $57, and $61 million the next three years. That's superstar money for a guy who isn't a consistent superstar player.

At his very best, Fox can be the heartbeat of a team. His athleticism does wonders on both ends of the court, and he can be a true three-level scorer. He's done none of that in this year's playoffs. Across 20 playoff games in this Spurs run, Fox is averaging just 16 points a game on 42.5% shooting from the field.

His three-point shooting has really struggled, making just over 30% of his shots from range. In big moments and games, he's disappeared. In the game seven win over the Thunder, he scored just 15 points on 6-12 shooting. He followed that up with a measly seven points on 3-13 shooting in game one of the NBA Finals.

And in San Antonio's most recent game four collapse, he took a bad shot late that was blocked. It allowed the Knicks to take the lead late on the next possession. It's those kinds of mistakes that have driven Spurs fans nuts over the past few weeks.

There's no doubt that Fox's ankle injury suffered earlier in the postseason has played a role in his recent struggles. But the injury doesn't excuse some of the mental mistakes that have cost the Spurs crucial games.

Fox is a good basketball player who's better than he's shown in recent games. But that doesn't mean the Nets should hitch their wagons to him. When you pay someone over $50 million a year, you expect consistent results. And Fox just isn't that kind of player right now.

This offseason is too important for the Nets to gamble tons of resources on Fox. If they want to go big game hunting, going all in for Antetokounmpo or Mitchell would make more sense.