Spurs’ De’Aaron Fox Will Make Season Debut Saturday vs. Pelicans

San Antonio Spurs point guard De’Aaron Fox will make his season debut on Saturday against the New Orleans Pelicans. ESPN’s Shams Charania was first to report.

Fox injured his right hamstring during a summer workout and has been rehabbing ever since. He signed a four-year, $229 million extension in the summer after being acquired by the Spurs before the trade deadline.

The 27 year old played 17 games as a member of the Spurs last season, averaging 19.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists. He suffered a lefty pinky finger injury in March that ended his season.

San Antonio has made a strong start to the season, winning five in a row out of the gate before dropping their last two games to the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers.

Fox is making a timely return, especially considering Dylan Harper’s recent calf injury. Stephon Castle has been the primary ball handler in Fox’s absence.

Fox Will Benefit Spurs’ Halfcourt Offense

Through the early season, the Spurs have scored 96.5 points per 100 possessions in the halfcourt. That’s good for 16th in the league, something they will undoubtedly hope Fox can help elevate.

Fox rose to prominence with some great years in Sacramento leading the Kings back to the playoffs. He is one of the fastest guards in the league and gets into the paint at will. Outside of the 2018-19 season where Fox shot 37.1 percent from three and the 2023-24 season where he was at 36.9 percent, Fox has not shot over 32.4 percent from deep and is at 33 percent for his career.

The one-time All-Star and All-NBA player has averaged over 25 points per game for a season three times in his career. Fox was on course for a fourth season until he was traded to the Spurs last season.

Wembanyama has seen a different look from defenses over the last two games, and Fox’s return should force teams considering the same route into some more difficult choices.