San Antonio Spurs star De’Aaron Fox likely won’t be ready for the team’s season opener against Dallas on October 22 due to a right hamstring injury he suffered during a summer workout.
“I definitely won’t be playing in the preseason, that’s for sure,” Fox said during Monday’s media day. “I don’t think I’ll be ready for opening night. But we’re going to play it by ear.”
The 27-year-old point guard feels he could play right now despite what medical staff are telling him.
“I’m not going to lie to you: I was running 15 mph already [on a treadmill]. I think that’s probably faster than most of the guys that are here. So, when I say I think I’m ready, I for real think I’m ready,” Fox added.
This setback comes just after Fox signed a massive four-year $229 million extension last month. The deal keeps him in San Antonio through the 2029-30 season with no player option in the final year.
Fox joined the Spurs last February as part of a three-team trade with the Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls.
The Kings received Zach LaVine, Sidy Cissoko, and several draft picks, while the Bulls got Zach Collins, Tre Jones, Kevin Huerter, and a 2025 first-round pick.
“When we made that trade, we knew what the contract status was, of course,” a Spurs executive told Spotrac’s Keith Smith in July. “We see De’Aaron as someone who can grow with our young players and be a real leader for us.”
Unfortunately, Fox’s first season with the Spurs was cut short by a finger injury. He had season-ending surgery on March 18 to repair tendon damage in his left pinkie – an injury he’d actually been playing through since training camp last October.
In his 17 games with San Antonio, Fox averaged 19.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists while playing 34 minutes per game. His shooting was decent from the floor (44.6%) but struggled from three-point range (27.4%).
One of the biggest disappointments was that Fox only got to play alongside Victor Wembanyama for five games before the French phenom’s season ended due to a blood clot in his right shoulder.
“[Wembanyama] was a big reason why I wanted to come here,” Fox admitted. “I see the youth and the talent that they have. We know there will be growing pains, but you would love to win while you have growing pains rather than losing and trying to have moral victories.”
There is some good news for Spurs fans, though. Coach Mitch Johnson announced Monday that Wembanyama has been medically cleared by both the team and the NBA to return from his blood clot issue.
The limited time Fox and Wembanyama spent together on the court last season (just 120 minutes across five games) showed they still have work to do, as they allowed 118.3 points per 100 possessions and posted a minus-4.3 rating.
Spurs fans will have to wait a bit longer to see their new star duo in action this season.
