The NBA trade deadline is nearing and rumors are spreading rapidly. With De’Aaron Fox likely on his way out of Sacramento as the Kings are looking for trade partners — the San Antonio Spurs are his requested destination.
The Spurs are an enticing trade location as Victor Wembanyama has the potential to be the most dominant player in the entire NBA, and opposing players might want to compliment him and share the floor with him.
For Fox, that’s the case as he wants to compete for NBA championships while making superstar-level money — which the Spurs might be able to provide.
One coveted young star the Kings might ask for in a trade is Stephon Castle, a 20-year-old rookie out of UConn.
Castle was the No. 4 overall selection in the recent NBA draft and holds a wealth of potential in the NBA. The Spurs value that as Wembanyama is incredibly young himself, and the duo could develop into a great tandem for years to come.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Spurs value Castle greatly and consider him untouchable, unless two teams make a call. The ESPN analyst suggested that San Antonio could make the UConn product available for players like Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
“If there was a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Luka Doncic on the table, they might consider it. But I don’t know if De’Aaron Fox rises to that level… They may believe Castle will be comparable to Fox in a couple of years,” Windhorst said.
There is no reason to believe the Dallas Mavericks have a sliver of consideration in trading Donic. The Slovenian superstar is the club’s franchise talent, and he will continue to be treated as such throughout his prime years in the league.
Still, Windhorst used Doncic as an example as to how high the Spurs value the young guard, and that a player like Fox might not be worth moving on from such a young talent.
