Inside The Spurs

Ex-NBA Champion's Brutally Honest De'Aaron Fox Statement

Former San Antonio Spurs champion Danny Green spoke on his former team acquiring De'Aaron Fox at the NBA Trade Deadline
Mar 9, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox (4) looks on against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second half at Target Center.
Mar 9, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox (4) looks on against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second half at Target Center. | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

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Without De'Aaron Fox, the San Antonio Spurs will take the court one final time ahead of next season. Despite his finger injury, he still played a pivotal role for his new team in the limited time he had.

Fox sustained a left pinkie injury during training camp while still with the Sacramento Kings, and played with his two leftmost fingers taped together for the remainder of the season. Fixing it was always in the cards, though the bigger question remained when the procedure would happen.

"The main problem is just the fact that if you throw me the ball, the first thing it's going to hit is the finger," Fox explained earlier in the season. "That's the reason that I really do tape it ... at some point, we're going to have to sit down and get it fixed."

While still working out the timeline for his injury, Fox was traded to the Spurs, which raised a few more questions regarding his ability to impact the game. As he proved, it wasn't much of a hindrance.

Because of that, former Spurs champion Danny Green didn't mince words about the Kings shipping him off midseason on a recent appearance on FanDuel's Run It Back.

"Letting De'Aaron Fox go was a mistake, Green said. "I would've done everything to try to keep him."

The Spurs missed out on the playoffs this season, but injuries certainly held them back. Between Victor Wembanyama's deep vein thrombosis and Fox's finger, a run at the postseason was a long shot.

But, unsprisingly, the future looks bright in San Antonio.

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI. In the world of professional sports, he’s a firm believer that athletes are people, too. He aims to spotlight the true, behind-the-scenes character of players and teams through strong narrative writing and sharp, hooking ledes.

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