Anyone who has been watching the NBA offseason closely knows that the Los Angeles Lakers have dramatically improved while also keeping an eye toward the future. They made a conscious decision not to sign big contracts that run past next season and could have as much as $96 million to play with next summer.
That would give them plenty of flexibility to rebuild around Luka Dončić, with LeBron James not expected to return after next season. Nevertheless, they may be hard-pressed to find a top free agent to spend all that money on. Instead, they may have to scour the trade market for potential stars, with San Antonio Spurs star 'De'Aaron Fox being an attractive trade target.
Despite having only played 17 games for the Spurs since being acquired from the Sacramento Kings, De'Aaron Fox's name continues to come up in trade rumors. After the Spurs drafted Dylan Harper second overall, many questioned whether they can coexist, especially when including the reigning Rookie of the Year, Stephon Castle.
Having three talented guards on a roster is hard to make work. And while they are all big enough to play together, if neither Harper nor Castle develops into a good shooter, then the Spurs would be hard-pressed to play them alongside Victor Wembanyama long-term.
The Lakers could pursue De'Aaron Fox next summer
That means there's the possibility that San Antonio might extend Fox with the intention of trading him if the right deal came along. With the Lakers having up to $96 million in cap space next summer but not having a star to spend it on, they could hit up the Spurs to check the availability of Fox.
Although the Lakers don't necessarily need a point guard with them having Doncic, given the list of potentially available stars, his fit makes arguably the most sense. Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz, Julius Randle of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans, and Mikal Bridges of the New York Knicks all could be available on the trade market.
However, Markannen saw his numbers drop off significantly last season, Williamson is a walking DNP, Bridges isn't a traditional star but could want a max contract, and Randle has defensive flaws. Even Trae Young, who may actually be a free agent next summer and is arguably a better offensive player than Fox, would make for an awful fit given his defensive issues.
De'Aaron Fox might be the best available star to pair with Doncic
Barring Giannis Antetokounmpo becoming available, which would obviously be the best possible fit next to Doncic, Fox might be the best option. He's passable defensively and a terrific offensive player while still being in his twenties.
The Spurs may expect top dollar for him for those reasons. However, the Lakers could absorb his entire salary and would have access to multiple first-round picks to trade.
Whether San Antonio would agree to that deal is unknown, but they may eventually have to move on from Fox. With the Lakers having cap space plans and few stars to actually sign, Fox might be the best option for Los Angeles.