How the Spurs turned two DeMar DeRozan deals into De'Aaron Fox

The Spurs acquired the Sacramento Kings' All-Star guard in exchange for four first-round picks and three players, but one first-round pick in particular was crucial in getting a third team involved. 

The Bulls traded Zach LaVine and took back the unwanted contracts of Kevin Huerter (Kings) and Zach Collins (Spurs) primarily to get this year's first-round pick back.

The selection Chicago sent to San Antonio back in 2021 was a 2025 first-rounder, protected from picks 1-10. While Chicago appears to be starting a rebuild, having traded away DeRozan and LaVine in the past eight months, they're still 10th in the Eastern Conference and at risk of losing their pick.

It would have been a tough blow, especially since DeRozan isn't even on their team anymore. Now they get their own pick back, regardless of what happens in the playoff race or the lottery draw.

That wasn't the only DeRozan pick the Spurs used to land Fox. They sent the 2025 Bulls second-rounder they got the 2021 DeRozan trade to Sacramento in the Fox trade. San Antonio also sent the Kings Sacramento's own 2028 second-round pick, which they acquired by helping to facilitate the 2024 sign-and-trade of DeRozan to the Kings.

It's amazing that simply taking back salaries in two separate transactions — in years where DeMar DeRozan was an unrestricted free agent free to sign with any NBA team — allowed San Antonio the extra trade ammunition to acquire an All-Star without giving up a single one of their valued young players. 

DeRozan was a fine player for the Spurs, who struggled while he was there, but his role in two different sign-and-trades could take his old team to new heights.