Who Won the Spurs-Kings Blockbuster? 4 Winners, 3 Losers in Fox-LaVine Trade

San Antonio Spurs - Winner

When the Spurs were listed as Fox's preferred destination, it was clear this deal was too good to pass up. However, with young stars like Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, and even Keldon Johnson at their disposal, it seemed almost inevitable that San Antonio was bound to lose one of their young core in this deal. However, general manager Brian Wright may have pulled off one of the more underrated moves in recent years. The Spurs managed to grab their point guard of the future without giving up any of his young players. There's no debate about whether the Spurs are the biggest winner of this deal.

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De'Aaron Fox - Winner

When the news was announced that the Kings were open to moving De'Aaron Fox, the Kentucky product quickly made it known the Spurs were his preferred landing spot. After less than a week from the news, the star guard had his wish granted, landing in Austin, Texas, to make one of the most dynamic duos with Victor Wembanyama. Not only does Fox get the move to a franchise with a history of winning, but he gets paired alongside a generational talent that has the potential to be one of the best players in league history.

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Domantas Sabonis - Loser

The biggest loser in this deal is Domantas Sabonis, who lost his running mate, De'Aaron Fox. The big man and Fox were one of the more underrated duos in the league, and their pairing balanced well off each other's unique play style. The two proved they could win with the right pieces when they took the Golden State Warriors to Game 7 in the playoffs in 2023. If Sacramento could've put the right pieces around the duo, they had two elite cornerstones to build around. Sabonis has to navigate his future with DeMar DeRozan and newcomer Zach LaVine.

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Victor Wembanyama - Winner

Since Victor Wembanyama proved in his rookie season that the hype around him entering the NBA Draft was warranted, the Spurs have made it a point of emphasis to take the steps necessary to build a contender around him. San Antonio made multiple offseason moves, including bringing in veteran point guard Chris Paul. However, when Fox became available, pairing the two stars together was a no-brainer. Now, Wemby has his running mate of the future locked in with a chance to make a push for the postseason this year, and San Antonio will become an attractive destination in free agency over the offseason.

Chicago Bulls - Loser

The Bulls made it clear that moving off Zach LaVine was a priority over the offseason. After receiving little to no interest due to his contract, the Bulls brought LaVine back for another year. However, now that they've moved off the star guard, it seems they've missed a golden opportunity to finally cash in on future assets that would allow them to take a massive step toward a rebuild. Instead, Chicago not only received no young talent or win-now players, but they also only received one pick in the whole deal, and it was their own first-round pick they traded away in a previous deal. To make things even more clear, the Bulls failed to bring in any additional first-round picks for either LaVine or DeRozan in their two separate deals over the last seven months.

Malik Monk - Winner

Although Malik Monk lost his college teammate in the trade, the guard may have gotten the opportunity he's been seeking since being drafted as a lottery pick in 2017. Amid a career year averaging 18 points, 5.9 assists, and 3.7 rebounds, it appears the 26-year-old will now be slotted in as the starting point guard in the Kings lineup as the team prepares to put their faith in Monk as the primary ball handler moving forward. In the first year of his four-year extension with the Kings, the former Kentucky star has a golden opportunity to prove he's the man for the job.

Chris Paul - Loser

This may be the most debatable one on the list. Chris Paul will likely lose his role as the starting point guard for the Spurs, but in no way, shape, or form will the future Hall of Famer fall out of the team's rotation. Paul signed with the Spurs in the offseason, hoping to help mentor Wembanyama and be a key piece in helping San Antonio's young core take the next step. Paul's minutes will take a hit with the addition of Fox, but at 39 years old, is that a bad thing?

San Antonio Spurs - Winner

When the Spurs were listed as Fox's preferred destination, it was clear this deal was too good to pass up. However, with young stars like Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, and even Keldon Johnson at their disposal, it seemed almost inevitable that San Antonio was bound to lose one of their young core in this deal. However, general manager Brian Wright may have pulled off one of the more underrated moves in recent years. The Spurs managed to grab their point guard of the future without giving up any of his young players. There's no debate about whether the Spurs are the biggest winner of this deal.

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