The Spurs have moved their timeline of building around Wembanyama ahead because they had to get Fox when he was available on the market. They now need to provide Fox and Wemby with sensible co-stars who can fit the team's culture and not take away too many of their future or on-court assets. This deal is perfect, as Johnson is a marked improvement over the outgoing Keldon or Malaki.
The 2026 pick might be a risk, but the Spurs already control the Atlanta Hawks pick for the 2025 draft, which is considered to be more valuable after Jalen Johnson was sidelined for the season and the Hawks started crashing down the standings. They still have a lottery prospect joining them regardless, so this is a risk they can afford.
This should especially motivate the two stars on the squad and even bench veterans like Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes, as the Spurs project will want to win now with such upgrades on the roster. Keldon Johnson is averaging 12.3 points and 4.8 rebounds this season. He doesn't appear to be in San Antonio's long-term plans but is a great hustle forward with a high-rebounding rate and shooting ability. He could help another contender in the NBA if the Nets trade him on, as there doesn't seem to be much of a ceiling to develop out of Keldon.
Malaki Branham might be a valuable long-term piece, with the 21-year-old averaging 4.5 points this season. More important than it all is the Spurs' top-five protected pick, which is bound to convey. The only question is if it is conveyed in the lottery or not. Even if their best-case comes true, this pick realistically becomes a top-20 pick next season at the minimum. This would be a home-run trade for the Nets. This would represent them trading Johnson at the absolute peak of his value because this return is better than anything they would've gotten before this season and might be the best they can get if they don't trade him this season. Cam Johnson is averaging 19.4 points and 4.1 rebounds this season, shooting 41.9% from three. Instead of running the undersized Devin Vassell as a full-time small forward, the Spurs can move Vassell to the backcourt alongside Fox while using Stephon Castle as a sixth man. Johnson, Vassell, Fox, and Castle could also play together if Jeremy Sochan is not in the lineup, giving the Spurs additional flexibility.
This is a move that will help Fox more than Wemby, as it ensures teams can't crowd the paint when he's coming downhill as Johnson is one of the deadliest corner shooters in the NBA right now. He's also proven to be a self-creating scorer this season, so his skill set would help the Spurs take a big step now. He's also under an affordable contract till 2027.
The Spurs have started isolating specific points on the roster that need improvement. They knew they needed a veteran point guard to unlock Victor Wembanyama, which is why they got Chris Paul in the summer. The Fox upgrade fell into their lap this season and they had to make that move, but there are wing reinforcements that could better serve their immediate to mid-range interests.