This news was expected, especially after it was announced that De’Aaron Fox would meet with doctors in Los Angeles to discuss the next steps for his injured pinkie finger on his left hand.
Fox will undergo season-ending surgery on his finger next Tuesday, a story broken by Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The timing makes sense. With Victor Wembanyama out for the season due to deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder, the Spurs have fallen off to 27-47 and, at 4.5 games out of even the play-in, have no real chance for a postseason run. It’s better to get the surgery, start the healing process, and have more time to work on chemistry with Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and the rest of the Spurs throughout the summer.
Fox injured the finger in training camp when he was still a member of the Sacramento Kings and has played through it all season, Charania reports. Fox had learned to play through the injury, dropping 32 on the Mavericks in a Spurs win Wednesday.
Fox started the season in Sacramento, but after coach Mike Brown was fired Fox pushed to be traded, he no longer felt there was enough stability in the Sacramento organization to win. Fox wanted to be traded to Sacramento to team up with Wembanyama and got his wish.
The future is bright in San Antonio, but Fox has prioritized getting his hand right first.