Dylan Harper's arrival gives Spurs a De'Aaron Fox decision they cannot delay

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Dylan Harper's arrival gives Spurs a De'Aaron Fox decision they cannot delay originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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A brutal Finals loss has left the Spurs facing one of the most fascinating roster questions of the offseason, and it starts in the backcourt. San Antonio may have found its long-term franchise guard in Dylan Harper, but that does not mean De’Aaron Fox is suddenly expendable. 

Fox’s massive contract extension is about to kick in, and even after a rough Finals run in which he clearly was not healthy, the Spurs are still committed to him in the present.

That is where the tension begins. A chunk of the fanbase already sees Harper as the future face of the backcourt and wonders whether he should eventually take over as the team’s true lead guard. It is easy to understand why. 

Harper has the size, poise and all-around creation ability to look like the undeniable future of this group. Fox, however, is still a very good player when healthy, and San Antonio did not make a long-term financial commitment to treat him like a placeholder.

The challenge is balancing two timelines at once while also finding enough room for Stephon Castle. On paper, the three-guard setup is easy to sell. Fox still brings elite downhill pressure and proven shot creation. 

Harper gives San Antonio another big initiator who can absorb contact and make plays. Castle adds defense, versatility and secondary playmaking. There is enough talent there to imagine a dangerous three-guard lineup on a nightly basis.

The problem is that talent does not automatically solve the hierarchy. Fox is not a player you bench or marginalize, especially with his extension locking him into the team’s plans. Harper will not be treated like a developmental stash after being drafted this high. 

Castle also needs meaningful reps to keep progressing. If all three need touches and on-ball opportunities, the Spurs have to decide whether this can be a real everyday structure or whether someone eventually gets squeezed into a role that does not maximize him.

That is the front office dilemma. San Antonio can try to make the three-guard experiment part of its identity, or it can decide that a roster shakeup is eventually necessary around Victor Wembanyama.

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