On August 4th, with Stephen Cassell winning Rookie of the Year and Dylan Harper joining the San Antonio Spurs as the second overall pick, the backcourt landscape is rapidly changing. Although De'Aaron Fox is eligible to sign a four-year, $223 million maximum contract extension, NBA insiders generally believe that the contract may not fall into his hands.

According to NBA reporter Marc Stein, although Fox is eligible to sign a four-year, $223 million maximum contract this season, Fox joined from the Sacramento Kings through a trade in February of this year. His current contract will expire after the end of the 2025-26 season, when he will become a full free agent.

According to ClutchPoints reporter Brett Siegel , it's expected that Fox's contract extension will be for less than the maximum salary. This contrasts with the Lakers' handling of Luka Dončić. After being traded to the Lakers midway through last season, Dončić signed a three- year , $165 million maximum contract, allowing him to stay with the team while retaining the opportunity to secure a larger contract early.

Fox's performance since joining the Spurs has been less than impressive, with his scoring average dropping from 25 points per game with the Kings to 19.7 . He also underwent surgery in March to repair a tendon injury in his left hand, which had plagued him since October of last year and ended his season. However, with his recovery from surgery complete, Fox is expected to return to his former offensive prowess this season. Prior to this, he had averaged at least 23 points per game for six consecutive seasons.

For the Spurs, whether or not to sign Fox to a long-term contract is not only a matter of individual performance but also of roster balance and salary cap management for the next several years. With Wimbama's upcoming supermax extension and the development of young backcourt duo Cassell and Harper, the Spurs may be more cautious regarding the length and amount of the contract to ensure roster flexibility.