The NBA Finals haven't exactly been kind to the San Antonio Spurs, who have been the Cinderella story that nearly every fan has rooted for throughout the postseason.
San Antonio laid down the blueprint to go from the top of the NBA Draft order to the NBA Finals in less than a year, but up to this point of their impressive playoff run, the inexperience has begun to turn the Spurs' championship dreams into a nightmare.
One of the biggest reasons for the current 3-1 deficit the Spurs face against the New York Knicks, is the abysmal play of De'Aaron Fox, who's questionable decisions in Game 4 truly sent the team's fanbase into riot mode.
Spurs fans are wishing they had Trae Young over De'Aaron Fox
Among the several intriguing comments fans took to social media to make over the last couple of days is how the team's decision to trade for Fox ahead of last year's NBA trade deadline was a mistake and how Trae Young would have the team in a much better situation right now.
One of many comments can be seen below:
In an alternate universe De'Aaron Fox doesn’t force his way to San Antonio instead Spurs go after and get Trae Young. And we have one of the greatest NBA Finals arc ever
— I Speak For The Streets (@marl0stanfield_) June 11, 2026
Imagine if we had gotten Trae Young instead of De’Aaron fox… pic.twitter.com/UbGgHmbqWN
— Cam Antonio Spurs 🇩🇪 (@CamTheSpursFan) June 12, 2026
I KNOW Spurs fans wish they traded for Trae Young instead of DeaAron Fox as they watch these finals
— tjhook47 (@tjhook47) June 9, 2026
I never understood why the San Antonio Spurs had zero interest in Trae Young.
— Trigg Dibiase (@Trigg3100) June 4, 2026
He was always the perfect pairing for Wemby.
DeAaron Fox doesn’t do anything to take pressure off of Wemby and make the game easier for him.
It's easy to understand the Spurs' fanbase and their frustration after Fox's questionable decision-making to attempt a fastbreak layup (which was blocked) with seconds remaining in the fourth rather than taking a foul that would have almost certainly sealed the game.
Young was rumored to be a target for San Antonio for years before Fox became available first, and once the Sacramento Kings' star forced his way to the Spurs, the opportunity for the Atlanta Hawks' All-Star to land in the Lone Star State took a dramatic hit.
Fortunately for the Wizards, it led to them landing their franchise point guard at an extremely discounted price.
Still, it's fair to say that Young's elite playmaking and basketball IQ would have the Spurs in a much different situation right now, especially considering how dynamic his facilitating next to Victor Wembanyama would have been.
At the same time, Young's defensive shortcomings make that hypothetical scenario hard to truly imagine how it would play out.
Regardless, it feels like the Spurs fanbase is all but over the Fox experience, especially with rookie Dylan Harper sitting right behind him, who arguably has provided San Antonio with better minutes thus far throughout the NBA Finals.
It has to feel good for the Wizards fanbase to see other teams' fans, especially teams in the NBA Finals, publicly saying how if they had one of Washington's top players, things would be much different.
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