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“Joker Murray Matchup Right There”: Paul Pierce Is All for De’Aaron Fox Pairing Up With Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio

Nickeem Khan
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Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox (5) shoots over San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) during the second half at Frost Bank Center.

It is impossible to win an NBA championship on the back of just one elite player. It requires an accumulation of talent including at least two stars that can co-exist together. One of the best pairings for a duo features a guard and a big man. The best example of a guard-big duo is Jamal Murray and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. However, they could be rivaled if the Spurs can pair De’Aaron Fox with Victor Wembanyama.

Hall-of-Fame forward Paul Pierce took to Ticket and the Truth alongside Kevin Garnett to share his thoughts on a potential Fox trade to the Spurs. Not only is he a fan of the pairing, he believes they would have the potential to compete for the title of the league’s best duo. He said,

“That’s the Joker-Murray matchup right there. That’s the Shai-Chet matchup right there. That’s the Ja and [Jaren Jackson Jr.] matchup. That’s the guard big combos that’s coming along in the league now.”

Pierce and Garnett are firm believers that Fox and Wembanyama would be a tremendous duo. The former Celtics believe that a Fox-Wemby duo is on par with Murray and Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, and Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. However, it won’t be easy to acquire Fox.

The two discussed a possible trade package for Fox. The names highlighted were Devin Vassell and rookie Stephon Castle as prime trade pieces to finalize a trade. However, Pierce wants the Spurs to keep Chris Paul as a backup point guard to further assist in Wemby’s development.

There is no guarantee that Fox will be a Spur this season, but the definitive answer will revealed in less than a week.

No strong developments on a De’Aaron Fox trade to San Antonio

Unfortunately, there aren’t any new developments regarding trade negotiations between the Spurs and Kings. The trade deadline is on February 6 so there is still time for the two teams to agree. However, time is ticking as the days pass.

No reports are coming out of San Antonio to gauge the depths of trade discussions. It is a consensus belief around the NBA that Fox would fit great alongside Wembanyama. The tricky aspect of potential trade is that Stephon Castle is the key to completing a trade. The Spurs are against including Castle in any trade.

Regardless, the Spurs have more than enough assets to complete a trade for Fox. Even in the hypothetical scenario that Castle remains with the team, their draft capital and other young talent compose an interesting package. As a result, it makes for the remaining days until the deadline to be very intriguing.

Post Edited By:Sameen Nawathe

About the author

Nickeem Khan

Nickeem Khan

Nickeem Khan is a Senior NBA Writer for The SportsRush from Toronto, Canada. He graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Media. Nickeem has over five years of experience in the sports media industry with hands-on experience as a journalist among other roles, including media accreditation for the CEBL, NBA G-League's Raptors 905, and CBC's coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

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