Spurs Coach Mitch Johnson Gives De'Aaron Fox Injury Update for NBA Finals

A narrative many people are making clear is that the San Antonio Spurs are heading into the NBA Finals as the younger, less experienced team against the New York Knicks.

However, the Spurs have several veteran players on the roster, including their starting guard De’Aaron Fox, who has been dealing with an injury throughout the postseason, keeping him out of multiple games.

He participated in San Antonio’s final five games during the Western Conference Finals, including the team’s massive Game 7 win at Oklahoma City.

While he contributed significantly, he wasn’t at 100 percent during those appearances, and on Tuesday, Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson addressed Fox’s injury situation for the NBA Finals.

More news:Rudy Gobert Gets Honest About Spurs' Victor Wembanyama Reaching NBA Finals

“Not sure, to answer the question, 100 percent, but it feels like [Fox’s injury situation] is moving in a better direction, and with rest, I hope he’s better tomorrow than he is today, and so on and so forth since our last game,” Johnson told reporters.

The Spurs coach also praised Fox’s efforts and explained why having him on the court against OKC was a significant boost, even when he might not have been scoring, because he was making steady, turnover-free plays.

“Very impressive. It actually goes back to Minnesota. He’s been playing with that for two series; he’s had it, reaggravated at times, and his level of toughness, physically and mentally, and at some stage his value was just being out there,” Johnson admitted.

“A turnover’s a stat, but not making a turnover isn’t a stat. There were times we didn’t make a turnover that helped our offense,” he said. “Obviously, as the series wore on, his impact became greater in terms of production.”

Fox typically logged 31 minutes or more during the OKC series, except his 26-minute participation in the Spurs’ 118-91 blowout in Game 6. He was on the court for 36 minutes in Game 7, finishing with 15 points, five assists, and three steals in the team’s win to reach the NBA Finals.

He’s been in the league since 2017, providing the Spurs with extremely valuable veteran leadership and experience from having played many games against NBA opponents like the Knicks.

While this is only Fox’s second postseason following one with the Sacramento Kings, he’s contributed significantly for a San Antonio team that has committed far more turnovers when he wasn’t in the lineup.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals featuring the Knicks and Spurs will be on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET in San Antonio.

More news:Spurs Legend Makes Stunning Victor Wembanyama Prediction Ahead of Finals

For more about the San Antonio Spurs and the NBA, head over to Newsweek Sports.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 2:49 PM.