The San Antonio Spurs entered the offseason expecting discussions about how close they are to winning a championship. Instead, one of the biggest talking points has become De’Aaron Fox.
The veteran guard has sparked trade speculation after fans noticed he no longer follows the Spurs’ Instagram page, a move that immediately generated rumors across social media. On its own, an Instagram follow does not mean much. NBA players regularly follow and unfollow teams, teammates, and organizations. Yet the timing has made the situation impossible to ignore.
De’Aaron Fox unfollowed the Spurs 👀 pic.twitter.com/vgKb1Omv4Y
— NBA Base (@TheNBABase) June 15, 2026
Fox is coming off a disastrous NBA Finals performance against the New York Knicks, and his massive four-year, $228.6 million extension officially begins next month. The contract will pay him $51.0 million in 2026-27, $55.1 million in 2027-28, $59.2 million in 2028-29, and $63.3 million in 2029-30.
Those numbers create expectations. Unfortunately for Fox, his Finals performance fell far short of them.
Across the five-game series, Fox averaged just 12.8 points, 6.0 assists, and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 34.3% from the field and 25.0% from three-point range. He finished the series shooting 24-for-70 overall and 7-for-28 from beyond the arc.
His struggles were especially noticeable late in games. In fourth quarters throughout the Finals, Fox shot a combined 5-for-19 from the field. In the championship-clinching Game 5 loss, he managed only seven points while shooting 3-for-15 from the floor and 1-for-8 from three.
The criticism became unavoidable because San Antonio repeatedly put itself in winning positions.
The Spurs led by 14 points in Game 1, 12 points in Game 2, 12 points in Game 3, 29 points in Game 4, and 16 points in Game 5. Yet they lost four of those five games.
The collapse raised questions about the team’s veteran leadership and late-game execution, and Fox found himself at the center of many of those conversations.
What made matters worse was the emergence of rookie Dylan Harper. The 20-year-old looked completely comfortable on basketball’s biggest stage, averaging 18.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while shooting 49.3% from the field. Harper attacked aggressively, created offense, and often looked like San Antonio’s most reliable perimeter player despite being in his first NBA season.
Victor Wembanyama remains the franchise centerpiece, while Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, and Harper give the Spurs one of the NBA’s most exciting young cores.
That reality has fueled speculation that San Antonio could eventually explore alternatives around Wembanyama if the fit with Fox becomes questionable.
Recent reports have already linked Fox to discussions involving potential superstar shakeups around the league, and he was even mentioned among players who could become available if San Antonio pursues another star after its Finals defeat.
For now, there is no indication that the Spurs are actively looking to move Fox. He remains under contract through 2030 and was a major reason San Antonio reached the Finals in the first place. Still, the Instagram move has added another layer of intrigue to an already fascinating offseason.
The Spurs have a championship-caliber foundation led by Wembanyama. The question now is whether Fox remains a central part of that future or whether his disappointing Finals performance becomes the beginning of a much bigger conversation.
