The San Antonio Spurs were dealt a major blow when superstar Victor was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis (DVT), resulting in his season coming to an early end. That has changed the direction of their season in a big way. His absence could result in the Spurs taking their foot off the gas and focusing more on the upcoming NBA draft.
After all, they have both their pick as well as an unprotected selection from the Atlanta Hawks. If the season were to end today, they would be projected to have the 10th and 12th picks, respectively, giving them a chance to build around Wembanyama and newly acquired star De'Aaron Fox. However, an underrated aspect of their offseason could include whether or not to extend Fox.
He was initially expected to be one of the top free agents in the summer of 2026, but after being traded to the Spurs, it was widely expected that he would sign an extension before then. Even so, the surprise trade of Luka Doncic has upended things, especially with the report that he may not sign an extension with the Lakers.
Doncic becoming a free agent after next season would be a game-changer and should give the Spurs pause before extending Fox. After all, Fox is a top-30 player, while Doncic is a top-3 superstar, but the Spurs missed out on a Doncic trade and "settled" on Fox.
The San Antonio Spurs should keep their options open if there is a chance to land Luka Doncic.
Fox could sign a 4-year, $212 million extension this summer and has played well for the Spurs, but if Doncic declines to sign an extension with the Lakers, then all bets could be off. After all, as ESPN's Brian Windhorst noted, Doncic was willing to sign a long-term extension with the Dallas Mavericks before he was blindsided by a trade. Moreover, he probably doesn't have the same loyalty with the Lakers that he had with the Mavericks after being abruptly traded.
He may be open to staying with the Lakers, but without the ability to sign a super-max contract worth around $350 million, the financial incentive to sign an extension has been significantly decreased. As a result, he may want to test the free agency waters for the first time in his career, in which case he would become the biggest free agent since LeBron James back in 2010.
The Spurs could theoretically hold off on extending Fox and let him play out the remainder of his contract heading into the summer of 2026 to keep their options open. Then again, they may have come to an agreement prior to trading for Fox to sign him to an extension this summer.
Could the Spurs land Luka Doncic and keep De'Aaron Fox to pair with Victor Wembanyama?
If that is the case, the Spurs could still find a way to get in on a potential Doncic sweepstakes. They could potentially work out a sign-and-trade in the event that he was to hit the open market and decide to return to Texas to join up with Wembanyama and Fox. That would probably cost them players such as Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson and potentially picks.
All told, Doncic being traded and possibly not signing an extension adds a fascinating layer to the summer of 2026. Teams such as the Spurs are likely keeping a close eye on his impending free agency in the off chance that he actually hits the open market.