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Report: Spurs, De’Aaron Fox agree to 4-year, $229 million max extension

2025-08-04T15:22:35-05:00

Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

The Spurs have secured one of their starting guards for the foreseeable future.

One day after he became eligible, De’Aaron Fox and the San Antonio Spurs have agreed to a four-year, $229 million contract max extension, which will kick in to start the 2026-27 season and last through 2030. Also, according to Shams, there is not a team or player option in the fourth year, so barring a trade, Fox is a Spur for the next five years.

BREAKING: San Antonio Spurs star De'Aaron Fox has agreed to a four-year, $229 million maximum contract extension with the franchise, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told ESPN. The max deal secures Fox's future in San Antonio through the 2029-30 season. pic.twitter.com/vvCdMExAbt
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 4, 2025

Just in on NBA Today -- Spurs star guard De'Aaron Fox lands a $229 million max deal six months after a trade to his preferred destination of San Antonio: pic.twitter.com/oB18In8c1O
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 4, 2025

Fox arrived in San Antonio in February ahead of the trade deadline in a steal-of-a-deal that only saw the Spurs lose Tre Jones, Zach Collins, Sidy Cissoko and three first round picks — with only the 2027 being the Spurs’ own pick. The Spurs also acquired Jordan McLaughlin in that same deal. While Fox only appeared in five games alongside Victor Wembanyama and 17 overall, he averaged 19.7 points, 6.8 assists and 1.5 steals before being shut down for pinkie surgery, and the two looked tantalizing together in that small glimpse of the future.

The Spurs giving him the full max with no player option shows their faith in him as their lead guard for the near future, as well as a lack of concern about positional overlap with rising youngsters Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. The signing makes Fox the highest paid Spur in franchise history (so Devin Vassell-doubters can stop wringing their hands), although that will change soon with Wemby becoming extension-eligible next summer, which would kick in for the 2027-28 season.

Year 1 of the De'Aaron Fox extension starts in the last year of the Victor Wembanyama first round contract.

Wembanyama is rookie extension eligible next offseason. pic.twitter.com/VdyH97LP7l
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) August 4, 2025

We’ll have more of what this means for the Spurs going forward after the migration to our new platform. As a reminder, while new content can’t be posted between this afternoon and tomorrow morning, comment sections will remain open during that period, so stick around!

The impact of legalized gambling on today’s sports landscape

2025-08-04T10:00:00-05:00

Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

A deeper look into if sports and sports books can coexist without conflicts of interest.

Imagine, for a moment, sports media roughly 20 years ago. SportsCenter, national broadcasts, bundles of paper people would have delivered to the houses called newspapers or magazines, and even blogs in their infancy. How much of that focused on gambling?

The answer is little to none. Gambling in sports was reserved for either casinos or underground bookmakers. At a glance, most wouldn’t even know it existed unless you were looking for it. Today, it’s the opposite. Sports books are everywhere. They bombard broadcasts with advertisements, in-arena signage, and live lines; it’s never-ending. They even own some local sports networks. The worldwide leader itself, ESPN, has its sportsbook, ESPN Bet.

If this seems like things are out of control, it’s because they are. The issues are not in short supply. To cover how things got out of hand, it’s important to cover how sports books make their money. It’s not as most would think.

Perhaps counterintuitively, books aren’t going after action that favors the house. They don’t have a long list of clients constantly losing money, well, they do, but that's a side effect of their overall strategy. Books want just as many winners and losers in their book of business.

What sports books focus on is getting balanced action on both sides of the lines. For them, it’s a game of volume. It’s for this reason that lines will shift as more action comes in. Books want things to balance. If action is heavy on one side of the bet, they will shift their lines to make the other side of the wager look more appealing. From there, it’s supply and demand economics.

They do this because they take a little off the top of every bet, known as the vig. This is why a bet with “even” odds will still have a money line of -110. That -10 is their cut to balance their spreadsheets. Roughly, they want an equal amount of action on both sides of a bet so they balance out to zero after paying winners and losers and then keep their cut on top. This is similar to a stock brokerage that might have $0 commissions, but they are taking a few cents per trade built into their quotes.

For those interested further, Geoff Ulrich offers a great breakdown of all of this and more here.

This is why you see relatively no barrier to entry on these sites and apps, constantly advertising bonuses and free money to bet with upon activating an account. Winners, losers, it doesn’t matter–the books want volume. This is why those trying to consume the sports are bombarded with relentless ads. For instance, during any given basketball game: it might be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network; the arena will have hundreds of sports book ads (even in a state without legalized sports gambling); on television, there will be at least one if not three or four different books advertising; and live lines will show throughout the broadcast.

Arguably, this overwhelming and constant advertising combined with a low barrier to entry has led to more scandals, more issues, and an overall change in how many fans view the gam and for the worse. There is no shortage of stories of players being harassed or even threatened online and at games for how they performed relative to someone’s bet. What’s more concerning, two basketball players (Terry Rozier, Malik Beasley) are currently under investigation, and another (Jontay Porter) has pleaded guilty, resulting in a lifetime NBA ban.

And then there are the conflicts of interest. As explained, books will move lines around in order to balance the action out. But now they have much more power in the form of the media they influence, own, or are owned by.

For local sports networks, this comes in the form of live lines and sponsored segments. Again, this might toe the line of conflicting interests but doesn’t outright cross it. What should be alarming is the aforementioned ESPN Bet.

ESPN taking bets should be an obvious red flag, especially knowing how lines will shift with the action. ESPN is one of the largest tastemakers in sports. It offers opinions, breaks news, and can largely dominate the zeitgeist of sports and how it’s perceived and discussed, whether fans like it or not. To be clear, there is no evidence of this happening as of yet, but who’s to say ESPN can’t use its influence to shift public perception of any given narrative? Who’s to say it can’t use its power to sway some of the betting public’s opinion?

What this means is that, being the machine that it is, ESPN potentially has the power to balance its action with its narratives. SportsCenter already has segments giving picks, what’s to stop them from offering picks that favor balancing their books?

For example, early on in Victor Wembanyama’s rookie season, there was discussion around Chet Holmgren as an early pick to win Rookie of the Year. It was ludicrous then, and it’s ludicrous in hindsight. But what if ESPN was pushing that narrative, or at least showcasing the pundits that thought that way, because the action of Wembanyama was so heavy and they needed to balance out their numbers?

Once it’s pointed out, it’s hard not to see this everywhere. Regardless of whether ESPN is doing this or not, the perceived conflict of interest is enough for it to be an issue. It puts into question every story and segment they have. And ESPN isn’t the only one with the potential to do this, to be clear, but they are the most egregious example. There are sponsored segments giving picks everywhere in sports media but no one actually owns their own book-making and has it all within one giant Mickey Mouse umbrella.

Ultimately, what this all sheds light on is the lack of boundaries. What we are experiencing is what could be looked at as a drastic repeal of prohibition. Compare this to the soft repeal of cannabis prohibition, which slowly and trepidatiously saw more allowances instead of widespread legalization.

Alcohol, on the other hand, was drastically repealed as well. And those same concerns that passed the 18th Amendment still existed, but were slowly mitigated after it was apparent it needed more boundaries. The boundaries differ from state to state, but are mostly all in effect to curb the dangers of drinking. The obvious ones are driving while intoxicated, bars have to stop serving at a certain time, minors aren’t allowed to consume or purchase, et cetera. Texas even forbids alcohol sales reps from working second jobs at bars because of the conflict of interest in that they might push their own products.

Sports betting appears to have very few of those boundaries. It has the 1-800-gambler at the end of every ad read, and some limitations on its advertising around college events, but for the most part, this is the wild west in a gold rush. It’s everywhere and everyone wants a piece of the pie while they can still get it. The concern now is if the ball is rolling too fast and has accumulated too much mass to stop.

It can be hoped that there won’t be any foul play or scandalous activity. But that hasn’t worked given the circumstances the industry already sits in. There isn’t anything inherently wrong with gambling or other vices, but they need checks and balances to mitigate potential issues. With several scandal investigations, glaringly unchecked conflicts of interest, and players receiving threats, it’s hard to argue things are under control. The idea of ignoring issues until they have to be dealt with isn’t a real strategy.

If sports betting is going to continue to exist outside of the underground it came from, it needs some sort of guide rails. That could come in the form of a stronger oversight committee at the national level, stronger enforcement of fan harassment, and/or limits on advertising. Something needs to be done because things can’t keep going the way they are.

Everything Spurs fans need to know about a potential De’Aaron Fox contract extension

2025-08-04T08:00:00-05:00

Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Fox didn’t sign an extension the instant he became eligible, but that doesn’t mean the two parties won’t come to an agreement.

De’Aaron Fox became extension-eligible on Sunday, August 3, which means the Spurs could have already signed the star point guard to a four-year, $229 million deal. A day later, there hasn’t been news.

There’s no need to panic, fortunately. The fact that there hasn’t been a signing doesn’t mean there haven’t been negotiations or that an agreement couldn’t be reached soon. So let’s look at all the relevant information.

Do the Spurs have to extend Fox right now?

The Spurs wouldn’t lose Fox if they don’t sign him to an extension. He still has a year left on his contract, where he’ll make $37 million during the 2025-26 season. They would then have until June 30 (the day before free agency begins) to sign him to an extension. If they don’t, then he would enter unrestricted free agency. San Antonio could also go over the cap to re-sign him in case he does enter free agency, as the franchise would have full Bird rights to Fox. In theory, there’s no rush to come to an agreement.

In practice, there are several downsides to not signing Fox to an extension. The relationship between the front office and the player could sour quickly if the 27-year-old guard heads into the season on an expiring contract after forcing his way to San Antonio from the Kings, using his leverage to help the Spurs land him without having to overpay. He could announce that he intends to enter free agency, tanking any trade talks involving him by saying he won’t re-sign with any of his suitors.

They don’t have to do it immediately, but if the Spurs want to keep Fox or trade him in the future while having leverage, extending his contract sooner rather than later is necessary.

Are there any reasons why the Spurs wouldn’t want to extend Fox?

The Spurs traded Tre Jones, Zach Collins, Cidy Sissoko, and three first-round picks for Fox, which was a good deal for a player of Fox’s caliber, but it did cost them some assets. They clearly wanted him back then, and they knew they would need to extend him. What has changed from then to now is that San Antonio moved up in the draft and selected Dylan Harper with the second overall pick. The rookie has tremendous potential and will be on a cost-controlled rookie deal. If the front office decides that Harper is their point guard going forward, they could balk at paying Fox.

San Antonio seems to want to win now, however, and relying on a rookie and a second-year player in Stephon Castle to be the main perimeter options would not be wise. Fox is the Spurs’ best scorer and ball handler by a significant margin, and keeping him happy, leading the team, and mentoring the younger guys seems like the best option for the foreseeable future. And he can always be moved later on to make room for Harper.

Can the Spurs and Fox agree to a shorter or cheaper extension?

They can agree to an extension for less money or fewer years if either side has concerns about the other and wishes to maintain flexibility or leverage, respectively.

Even a small discount like the one Mikal Bridges gave the Knicks could help San Antonio manage their cap in the future, once the roster becomes expensive. It seems like a viable outcome, with Clutchpoints’ Brett Siegel suggesting it’s a likely scenario. Convincing Fox to leave significant money on the table to help the front office build the team, however, would require a high level of trust, especially after the team selected a point guard in the draft. Don’t expect it to happen.

Fox could also push to sign for fewer years and with a player option to have more control over his career. On a long-term deal, the Spurs could trade him anywhere they wanted and he wouldn’t have many tools to prevent them from taking the best offer instead of sending him to his preferred landing spot. Going for a shorter contract, however, could be risky, as an untimely injury or a cold market in free agency could really hurt his earning potential.

What’s the most likely scenario?

Fox will likely sign an extension with the Spurs for the max or close to it. The team valued him in the past trade deadline, and while his first run in San Antonio was limited by thumb injury that required surgery to fix, he’s a former All-Star who would be the team’s best perimeter scorer in years. Harper has a bright future ahead, but he’s a rookie. Castle might slot better at the wing if his outside shot improves. If those younger guys look ready to run the offense in a year or two, the front office could move Fox then.

As for Fox, it would be smart for him to lock down as much money as possible now instead of choosing to enter free agency next summer, with the uncertainty that would entail. He also clearly wanted to play in San Antonio and next to Victor Wembanyama. Things have changed since the selection of Harper, but Fox should be penciled in as the starter going forward. And while he might be the one shipped out if the logjam at guard becomes a problem, that would be a good problem for the Spurs.

It might take a while to get pen to paper, but in all likelihood, the Spurs and Fox will come to an agreement eventually.

In case you missed it last week, Pounding the Rock (and SB Nation as a whole) is undergoing a makeover! This will include moving to a new platform, which will prevent us from posting any new articles for roughly a 16-hr period between this afternoon and tomorrow morning (delays are possible). Users will still be able to comment on existing articles during this time. If there is any breaking news during that period (such as a Fox extension), we will report on it as soon as the platform is back up.

Another reminder for users is there will be a new login system with the new platform. This may or may not affect you depending on how you currently log in. Refer here to see if you will be impacted and what needs to be done if you are. We’re just as excited to see the new-look Pounding the Rock as you are, so stick around!

Open Thread: Texas Strong shirts benefit Hill Country flood relief

2025-08-04T06:00:00-05:00

Photo by Garret Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images

All three Texas teams banded together

On July 4, the Texas Hill Country was ravaged by deadly and destructive flooding in Kerr County and surrounding areas. Relief efforts began as quickly as safety allowed. From every corner, first responders reached out. Schreiner University opened up the Event Center as an emergency shelter. The Quiet Valley Ranch, home of the annual Kerrville Folk Festival, opened camping spots to those in need and staffed their kitchen to feed people in the immediate area.

Texas musicians from heavy hitters like George Strait and Robert Earl Keen to local scenes in every city have been putting together benefit shows.

And the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, and Dallas Mavericks joined forces to raise funds.

During the Las Vegas Summer League, the Spurs, Mavericks, and Rockets revealed the “Texas Strong” t-shirt featuring all three teams logos. It serves a united front of fellowship in supporting flood relief throughout the Texas Hill Country. The top two draft picks, Copper Flagg and Dylan Harper, helped in the reveal as the Spurs and Mavs met up during competition.

Shirts are $30 and all the funds go to relief efforts still taking place nearly a month after the tragic flooding began.

You can order from the Spurs fan shop HERE.

Welcome to The Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.

Open Thread: How Pop let know Derrick White know he was being traded

2025-08-03T06:00:00-05:00

Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images

Sometimes the direct approach is the best

Do you remember where you were when you head that Derrick White was being traded to the Boston Celtics?

We all know that Derrick White was traded to the Celtics for Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford, the 2022 first-round pick that conveyed as Blake Wesley, and the right to swap first-round picks with Boston in 2028.

But did you know where Derrick White was the moment he found out he was being traded to Boston?

Getting traded is crazy. We’re in Atlanta. Pop walks into the room and he’s like: “Hey...uh we traded you.” And he doesn’t say anything. I’m like, “To where?” and he was like, “We wouldn’t f*** you, we sent you to Boston.” And I’m like, “Alright, yeah, that’s cool.” I was like, “Yeah, I’ll fit well there.” But it was also like, “Well, what do I do?” (Assistant Athletic Trainer) Brendan Bowman, he texts me. He’s like, “You want me to get a bottle?” I’m like, “Yes.” So me and B start playing dominoes and drinking.”

White has since won a title with the Bean Town’s best and remains an integral part of their program. With Jayson Tatum out for the season, his role may increase while the team attempts to keep their heads above water until their superstar is back in shape.

Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.

Open Thread: Spurs to host free Back To School Bash

2025-08-02T06:00:00-05:00

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Event will provide resources for students, parents and teachers

Per a Spurs press release:

Spurs Sports & Entertainment (SS&E) is hosting its fourth annual Back to School Bash at Frost Bank Center on Sunday, Aug. 10 from 12-3 p.m. Parents, students and teachers in grades K-12 are invited to attend this event for free school supplies and resources while supplies last. Registration is now open and required for attendance.

Through partnership with local organizations, businesses, nonprofits and school districts, the event will offer free resources and services, including:

School supplies for K-12 grade levels
Vision checks
Dental screenings
Haircut by appointment through the registration link
Information booths for school enrollment, extracurricular activities and mental health support

Children must be accompanied by a parents or guardian. Educators must have their teacher ID for access to the event. Items and services are on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.

Patricia Mejia, Chief Impact Officer at SS&E shared,

“San Antonio is a city rich with people and organizations who care deeply about our students, families and educators. Back to School Bash is a reflection of what’s possible when a community comes together to lift each other up. It’s a reminder that we all have a role to play in helping our young people thrive.”

Now in its fourth year, the SS&E Back to School Bash has drawn over 11,500 attendees and provided over 1,300 health screenings, 800 dental screenings and cleanings and 12,000 school supplies over the last tow years alone.

Welcome to The Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.

Spurs fully guarantee Julian Champagnie’s contract

2025-08-01T17:32:51-05:00

Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images

The swingman gets his money ahead of the big 2025-26 season.

The San Antonio Spurs’ biggest offseason moves are behind them. They’ve filled the major gaps on the roster and have a solid rotation heading into training camp in a few months. The rest of the front office’s summer will be focused internally. The first domino was fully guaranteeing Julian Champagnie’s contract.

On Friday, the Spurs guaranteed the rest of Champagnie’s $3M contract for the 2025-26 season. Champagnie’s deal is one of the most team-friendly contracts in the NBA. He played all 82 games last season, averaging 9.9 points and shot 37.1% from the field while being a solid defender. The Spurs can pick up his club option for the 2026-27 season, giving them another year with the 3&D swingman on his current deal.

Champagnie should factor into a crowded wing room for the Spurs this season. He, Keldon Johnson, and Carter Bryant will give San Antonio some solid wing depth off the bench. While the Spurs made big additions with Dylan Harper and Luke Kornet, they didn’t add a whole lot of shooting outside of the Kelly Olynyk trade. Champagnie’s three-point ability brings a lot of value to the squad, almost guaranteeing him 15-20 minutes a night.

The Spurs will have more moves to make in the next few weeks. De’Aaron Fox is officially eligible for his extension on August 4th, and Jeremy Sochan can sign his rookie extension before the start of the regular season.

Open Thread: Eight years of Pounding the Rock...

2025-08-01T06:00:00-05:00

Photos by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images

...and boy are my arms tired

I start off today’s Open Thread with modicum of gratitude.

Back in 2017, I found PoundingTheRock.com while searching the web for Spurs related stories. I instantly became a fan. I remember spending some time listening to every episode of “A Fifth of Spurs” and reading a backlog of articles. I soon discovered the Fanposts and immediately set up an account.

At that time, PtR had their own merchandise for sale from time to time. I saw a post about a new release and after ordering, posted a question in the comments, “How many t-shirts has PtR released?” The editor-in-chief, J.R. Wilco, posted a response, “Wouldn't it be great if someone figured that out.”

I decided to take that as my first assignment.

I combed through the site as far back as I could until I had compiled a list of shirts. In the end, I was missing one or two, but I did get Wilco’s attention. He reached out and we had a phone call. Full disclosure, my wife described my side of the conversation as “giddy.” What can say, I was a fan.

We discussed a number of Spurs related topics as well as writing and a few ideas each of us had. I pitched a series covering the players whose jersey numbers had been retired, and the Hanging From The Rafters series was born. My first piece on James Silas, the first member of the Spurs to have his jersey retired, posted on August 1, 2017. Eight years ago today.

I kept up the Hanging From the Rafters series, updating it over the years to include Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker.

It wasn’t always smooth sailing. In my first year I took on writing some of the Game Previews. For a matchup where the Spurs were facing the Philadelphia 76ers without the services of Kawhi Leonard, Rudy Gay, and Manu Ginobili, I boldly predicted a victory, “Spurs by 17.” I was way wrong. The 76ers ended up beating the Spurs by 17 on that night.

It wasn’t long before I was asked to write a daily Open Thread, something that lent itself to conversations for any discussion while allowing articles to maintain on topic comments. At this point, I am creeping up on my 3000th article.

In these eight years I have worked with some remarkable people. Folks I have now known longer than most coworkers from my day job. I have developed solid relationships based on honest collaboration and constructive feedback.

I get to do something that I truly love: write about the San Antonio Spurs, my favorite team. It keeps me connected with others who share the same passion for Spurs culture.

And in the last eight years, as the Spurs have had their ups and downs, I’m glad to be still be watching every single game — excited to see what develops, no matter the outcome. Thanks to all of you who read, and comment, and share.

Here’s to another year of pounding the rock!

Welcome to The Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.