The San Antonio Spurs ultimately landed De’Aaron Fox at the 2025 trade deadline, but according to Rich Paul, the franchise was initially pursuing a different star point guard altogether.
During a recent appearance on the Game Over podcast with Max Kellerman, Paul revealed that Darius Garland was once the guard he envisioned alongside Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio before circumstances changed.
“I remember the trade getting ready to take place, and De’Aaron and I were talking about it. We were talking about different options, where he could go, etc. Obviously, I had the Spurs kind of teed up as a possibility. The thing about the trade for De’Aaron, at first, it wasn’t De’Aaron.”
“It was another guard that I represent that I was envisioning going there because De’Aaron wasn’t wanting to be traded yet. But this guard was actually Darius Garland. He was flustered. He was frustrated. He wanted to get out. We were having a conversation, and I said to him at the time, ‘You got to get somewhere where you can… I don’t want you to take a dip.'”
“The Spurs needed a point guard. This was before they got the second pick. I thought, next to Wemby, with the shooting and all that, it made sense. Then things changed, and he was fine. Then Mike Brown got fired.”
“You represent a lot of guys who play the right way. Like De’Aaron Fox and Garland. They play the right way. So an organization like the Spurs wants a guy like that. In De’Aaron’s case, when he finally got to the point where he said, ‘You know what, it’s probably time,’ we had a conversation. One of the things we talked about was, ‘Okay, if you get to the Spurs, are you okay being number two?’ Because obviously, you’re going to be number two. There’s no doubt about that.”
“And he didn’t even flinch. Absolutely.”
The Spurs eventually acquired Fox in a blockbuster three-team deal. San Antonio received Fox and Jordan McLaughlin. Sacramento landed Zach LaVine, Sidy Cissoko, multiple first-round picks, and multiple second-round picks. Chicago received Zach Collins, Tre Jones, Kevin Huerter, and their own first-round pick back.
Fox was coming off a turbulent season in Sacramento. The Kings fired head coach Mike Brown and struggled to gain traction in the Western Conference. Before being traded, Fox averaged 25.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.1 assists while shooting 46.9% from the field and 32.2% from three-point range. Sacramento finished 40-42 and ninth in the West, though the team was 25-24 at the time Fox was moved.
Garland’s situation was different. Despite persistent trade rumors following Donovan Mitchell’s arrival, the Cavaliers chose continuity after posting a 64-18 record. Garland played a major role in that success, averaging 20.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists while shooting 47.2% from the field and 40.1% from three.
However, injuries complicated matters. Garland appeared in only five playoff games because of a toe injury that later required surgery. Cleveland eventually fell short in the postseason despite entering as one of the Eastern Conference favorites.
Interestingly, Garland and Fox shared several similarities at the time. Both were All-Star caliber point guards on long-term contracts. Garland was in the middle of a five-year, $197 million deal, while Fox was finishing a five-year, $163 million contract before his new four-year, $221 million extension kicked in.
Looking back now, the trade could not have worked out much better for San Antonio. Fox quickly became an integral part of the Spurs’ turnaround. Alongside Wembanyama, he helped power San Antonio to a 62-20 record and a stunning run all the way to the NBA Finals. His willingness to embrace a secondary role next to the franchise cornerstone proved critical to the Spurs’ success.
Garland’s path ended up being very different. Following Cleveland’s disappointing finish and ongoing questions about the roster, he was eventually traded to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the James Harden deal. Instead of forming a backcourt with Wembanyama, Garland now finds himself helping lead a Clippers team with championship aspirations.
It’s one of the more fascinating ‘what if’ stories in recent NBA history. Had circumstances broken differently, Garland could have been the point guard throwing lobs to Wembanyama today. Instead, that role belongs to Fox, and the Spurs are four wins away from a championship because of it.
