Spurs predicted to trade De'Aaron Fox for Raptors' $269M high-energy duo pair with Dylan Harper originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The San Antonio Spurs are looking to get back to the NBA Finals next summer after feeling they should have beaten the Oklahoma City Thunder. For much of the series, the Spurs held the lead but struggled to maintain their momentum late in games.
San Antonio will have some questions to answer this season, particularly regarding its starting lineup. It was reported that the organization believes Dylan Harper is the second-best player on the roster.
“The Spurs internally believe Dylan Harper is their second best player. That's not a slight on De'Aaron Fox or Stephon Castle. Harper is a stud," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said.
The Spurs also have another young guard in Stephon Castle, who is a high flyer and defensive menace. The future is bright for their backcourt, and Charles Barkley believes they could become the next Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
“If I'm a guard in the NBA, I do not want to see them boys the next 10 years. They're going to be the new Steph and Klay," Barkley said.
However, San Antonio also has De’Aaron Fox on the roster, and he carries a hefty contract. The team could still trade him, and CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn believes the Spurs could send Fox to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.
“Not many teams are eager to take on a contract like this, and if the Spurs could move it without paying draft picks anywhere, doing so would probably make sense. Realistically, you're probably looking at teams with bad contracts of their own to move. Maybe Toronto would flip the cheaper Immanuel Quickley along with RJ Barrett,” Quinn wrote.
This wouldn't necessarily be a bad deal for San Antonio, as the Spurs would have more backcourt options, with Barrett and Quickley potentially coming off the bench. Depending on how the roster is configured, either player could also fill a starting role at another position.
Quickley and Barrett have contracts totaling approximately $269 million combined. This proposed trade would allow Harper and Castle to take greater control of the backcourt while moving Fox's contract off the books.
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