Fox, Wembanyama and Who? Breaking Down Spurs After NBA Trade Deadline

With the NBA's Trade Deadline officially passed, the San Antonio Spurs have some new faces in town and a few kinks to iron out. Here's what you need to know.

Feb 5, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox (4) in action against the Atlanta Hawks in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

For a debut, expectations were quite lofty in Atlanta.

De'Aaron Fox, taking the court for the first time alongside an entirely new roster — save for Jordan McLaughlin, who came with the All-Star point guard in a three-team deal that accelerated the San Antonio Spurs' ongoing rebuild — needed to perform well.

Not for the fans, who had witnessed a span where shortcomings befell San Antonio in seven of its last nine contest, or for the bigwigs within the team's front office. That confidence was there.

"It's his eighth year in the league," Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson said. "His resume speaks for itself. He is a top player ... on both ends of the floor. Dynamic in every sense of the word."

READ MORE: Fox, Victor Wembanyama Spearhead Spurs' New Era

What still needed to flesh out, for better or worse, was Fox's confidence in himself. He'd played basketball at the highest level for longer than the better part of his teammates. Not yet with them.

“When I came in, everybody told me to be myself," Fox explained of the early transition. "Not to come in and just try to fit in, but the way that I play, I feel like I'm unselfish."

Feb 5, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox (4) shoots past Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

That much he proved. Matching an ailing Victor Wembanyama in points, Fox also recorded a franchise-most 13 assists in his debut and helped will San Antonio to a late victory over the Atlanta Hawks. As he pointed out pre-game, he had the picks the Spurs possessed in mind.

But he also just wanted to lay the foundation for what was to come.

"That's probably about as a complete of a game as you'd hope for in a first game," Johnson said. "We saw the potential. It's tantalizing. He's going to unlock a whole different element for our team."

A Roster Breakdown

Currently, San Antonio has 17 of its maximum-possible 18 roster spots filled. It controls six of its next seven first round picks (2027 belongs to Sacramento) as well as Atlanta's 2025 and 2027 picks.

That said, after bringing in Fox and McLaughlin in exchange for Sidy Cissoko, Tre Jones and Zach Collins, the Spurs' roster is as follows:

Starters:

• De'Aaron Fox
• Victor Wembanyama
• Devin Vassell
• Chris Paul
• Harrison Barnes

Bench:

• Stephon Castle
• Keldon Johnson
• Jeremy Sochan
• Julian Champagnie
• Charles Bassey
• Sandro Mamukelashvili
• Jordan McLaughlin
• Blake Wesley
• Malaki Branham

Two-Way Players:

• Riley Minix
• David Duke Jr.
• Harrison Ingram

What Does Adding Fox Mean for Rotations?

San Antonio has a larger problem at hand in the big man department.

Without Collins, the Spurs only have the services of Charles Bassey as a true backup center. Beyond him, Sandro Mamukelashvili has the build to play low, but seldom sees impact minutes — even without Bassey on the floor.

READ MORE: De'Aaron Fox Speaks on Blockbuster Spurs Trade

Luckily for San Antonio, the lineup Mitch Johnson seems to favor to begin games doesn't expose much of that issue. In the first game with Fox, the Spurs ran a lineup featuring Chris Paul, Fox, Harrison Barnes, Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama.

Is that the lineup for the foreseeable future?

"Yeah," Johnson replied. "I think so."

Jan 29, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs acting head coach Mitch Johnson and guard Chris Paul (3) in the second half against the LA Clippers at Frost Bank Center. / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Castle was subbed in near the end of the game as San Antonio looked to hold onto its lead, but for now, he'll have to stick to logging impact minutes from the second unit, which has never been an issue for the rookie. Of note: He's the only likely candidate to replace Paul as the season progresses.

For now, he and Jeremy Sochan head to the second unit along with Keldon Johnson, Julian Champagnie and, when healthy, Bassey. In his place, it was Sochan doing some of the heavy lifting when Wembanyama rode the bench, though that was a temporary fix.

What About the Buyout Market?

The Spurs have never been aggressors, and that's likely to continue.

Even before dealing Collins, there was a need for a traditional center to complement Wembanyama's free-flowing play style. On paper, San Antonio had its answer, but it didn't come to fruition on the court. Now with Bassey as the only option, a backup for Wembanyama is wise.

A pair of options exist in recently waived big men Mo Bamba and Daniel Theis, though a couple of other names could join that list as the dust from the trade deadline settles.

Per #Thunder PR, Oklahoma City is waiving Daniel Theis.

— Matt Guzman (@mattgzman) February 6, 2025

Whether the Spurs look to any of those names or simply wait for Bassey to return remains the question, though that also doesn't eliminate the idea of shopping for a long-term solution in the offseason, especially as more superstars begin to idealize teaming up with Wembanyama and Fox.

If one thing is clear, Fox accelerated San Antonio's rebuild. He's just one piece of it, but not one the Spurs are taking lightly.

"It just shows that they're not here to waste time and they're willing to take the next step on time," Wembanyama told ESPN of the Spurs making a deal for the former Kings star. "We’re moving forward.

"I think it’s a good step in the building of our future."