INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 16: Darius Garland #10 of the Los Angeles Clippers dribbles past Victor Wembanyama #1 and De'aaron Fox #4 of the San Antonio Spurs during the second half of a game at Intuit Dome on March 16, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images Did you know that before De’Aaron Fox was traded to the San Antonio Spurs, Rich Paul had planned to push a trade to San Antonio involving Darius Garland? Neither did I. But even before Fox was interested in leaving Sacramento, the famed agent saw the need for a ball-handler in the Alamo City. Rich Paul reveals he had Darius Garland lined up for a trade to the Spurs prior to the Fox trade, and that Fox had no problem with being the #2 behind Wemby:"I remember a trade getting ready to take place and De'Aaron and I were talking about it, and we were talking about… pic.twitter.com/FbSTIaqQ1J— Wemby Alien Era (@WembyAlienEra) June 3, 2026 Rich Paul reveals Darius Garland was frustrated with Cleveland. Paul had been working up a trade to the Spurs. At the time, Fox had not been interested in leaving Sacramento. Paul shared, “I remember a trade getting ready to take place and De’Aaron and I were talking about it, and we were talking about different options where he could go etc, and obviously I had the Spurs kinda teed up.. At first it wasn’t De’Aaron, it was another guard that I represent that I was envisioning going there, because De’Aaron wasn’t wanting to be traded yet.. It was Darius Garland. He was flustered, he was frustrated and he wanted to get out.. and the Spurs before they got the 2nd pick, they needed a point guard. And I thought next to Wemby, with shooting and all that. And then things changed and he was fine. And then so now Mike Brown got fired.. and so in De’Aaron’s case when he finally got to the point to where ‘you know what it’s probably time’, and we’re having a conversation, one of the things we talked about was: OK if you get to the Spurs, are you OK being number 2? And (Fox) didn’t even flinch. ‘Absolutely, absolutely.'” First of all, isn’t it amazing what goes on behind the scenes. An agent, looking out for his client, is wheeling and dealing to get him into the best position to succeed. Blows my mind, the chess that goes into putting together a formidable team. I also loved that Fox never had a problem playing just outside of Wemby’s spotlight. He’s said it publicly, but knowing that’s how he truly feels solidified that the trade worked out well for Fox and the Spurs. What do you think, Pounders? Could Garland have made the same impact that Fox has made? There are similarities between the two for certain. But as we’ve seen, the dynamic of the team factors heavily into the success of the Spurs. As it stands, they have developed into a cohesive unit. Could Garland have blended seamlessly into this incarnation of the Spurs? We’re in the NBA Finals with De’Aaron Fox, but have some fun with with the hypothetical. Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here. Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language. ...read more read less