Dylan Harper's rise has not pushed De'Aaron Fox out of the Spurs' opening-night plan.
ESPN's Michael C. Wright reported that Fox is still likely to get the starting nod because of his experience, his ability to direct traffic, and the way he consistently facilitated San Antonio's offense. Harper broke out in the postseason, but the Spurs are not treating that as enough to erase Fox's place.
Team sources said San Antonio remains committed to the veteran after his rough NBA Finals showing. Their view is that the Spurs might not have reached the Finals at all without Fox's contributions while he played through a high right ankle sprain.
There is still a basketball decision coming. Sources said the Fox-Harper call will belong to coach Johnson and will be decided by what happens on the floor, not by contract status or outside noise.
Johnson has also mentioned experimenting with all three guards together in some lineups. That idea comes with a warning label. San Antonio used that trio in 18 games last season and posted a minus-26.9 net rating, a number bad enough to make the fit a real question.
The counterpoint is time. A full offseason could help Fox, Harper, and the rest of the guard group settle into cleaner roles. For now, the reporting points to Fox beginning the season as the trusted veteran starter, with Harper applying pressure through performance rather than title.
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