The San Antonio Spurs made a splash at the NBA trade deadline by acquiring All-Star guard De'Aaron Fox to pair with superstar center Victor Wembanyama, but everything has gone downhill since.
After the All-Star break, the Spurs announced that Wembanyama would miss the rest of the 2024-25 season with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. This would virtually end San Antonio's season, and now another star has been hit with season-ending news.
De'Aaron Fox will undergo season-ending surgery for tendon damage in his left pinkie, per ESPN's Shams Charania.
San Antonio Spurs star De'Aaron Fox will undergo season-ending surgery on Tuesday for tendon damage in his left pinkie, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/W20JJB7ZdZ
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 13, 2025
Fox will finish his debut season as a Spur after just 17 games. In those appearances, Fox averaged 19.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game, but the Spurs are just 6-11 with Fox in the lineup and 4-8 since Wembanyama's season-ending injury.
Many were expecting this news after Wembanyama's injury, as Fox has been dealing with this issue since before the season started.
"Fox suffered the tendon injury during training camp in October and played through the ailment all season," Charania reported. "For the Spurs and Fox, the decision to undergo surgery now was made to expedite the healing process and gain offseason chemistry with the roster based on recovery."
San Antonio Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox (4)
Mar 7, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox (4) high fives team mates after coming out of the game during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images / Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
Giving Fox the rest of the regular season and offseason to recover from surgery is a great idea by the Spurs organization and the star point guard. For the Spurs to be at their best next season, Fox and Wembanyama need to be healthy, and since their 2024-25 campaign has already gone to waste, it is time to build toward next year.
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