Spurs Looking for ‘Acceptable’ Balance in Possible Trade With Kings
Since Tuesday, the San Antonio Spurs have been one of the very hottest teams in NBA trade rumors. The Sacramento Kings are reportedly shopping All-Star point guard De’Aaron Fox, and the Spurs have emerged as the most viable landing spot. For Fox, playing alongside Victor Wembanyama comes with plenty of clear advantages. However, even with Fox lobbying his way out, he won’t come to San Antonio for free, and the Kings are rumored to covet rookie Stephon Castle, who the Spurs might be reluctant to trade.
The Spurs drafted Castle fourth overall in 2024, and he has emerged as a rotational piece for the Silver and Black.
The Kings, meanwhile, selected Devin Carter 13th overall. Both were Big East products who were billed as high-level defenders and paring Carter and Castle together in Sacramento makes a lot of sense. However, the Spurs aren’t eager to part ways with their Rising Star. “There is serious skepticism in league circles that San Antonio will be willing to include him,” reportedThe Athletic’s Sam Amick.
“If that’s ultimately the case, the Kings would have to determine whether there’s an acceptable pathway to doing the deal without him.” The Spurs, on top of their reluctance to trade Castle, already have a high-level point guard on the roster. Chris Paul is signed through the end of the season, and San Antonio is in no rush to make a splashy move.
Related: Spurs Aim to Continue Injured Bucks Misfortune “For the Spurs’ purposes, it would be easier to integrate Fox in the summer while letting the 39-year-old Paul finish this productive season in his twilight,” Amick finished. The Spurs could simply wait until the summer to make a deal with the Kings and ride out this season with Paul running point guard.
