1 year, $17.5 million! Sorry, Spurs! The worst sixth man in Finals history

Brunson FMVP? No, Fox FMVP is right. (Manual dog head.)

This guy, as the highest-paid player on the Spurs, has been extremely underwhelming. In this year's Finals, he averaged only 12.8 points per game, with a field goal percentage of 34.3% and a three-point percentage as low as 25%.

Notably, Fox's four-year, $228.6 million max contract signed last summer with the Spurs is about to officially take effect, as follows:

2026-27 season: $51 million;

2027-28 season: $55.1 million;

2028-29 season: $59.2 million;

2029-30 season: $63.3 million.

For comparison, the Knicks' star Jalen Brunson, who averaged 32.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game in this year's Finals, has salaries of $37.74 million, $40.54 million, and $43.33 million over the next three seasons.

With Fox's expensive and lengthy contract, the Spurs will likely have trouble finding a trade partner, essentially leaving them stuck with it.

Back to the point, the blame for the Spurs losing this year's championship cannot all be placed on Fox. For instance, the newly crowned Sixth Man of the Year also had a lackluster performance.

In the regular season this year, Keldon Johnson averaged 13.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists with a field goal percentage of 51.9%; in the playoffs, he averaged 7.7 points and 3.3 rebounds with a field goal percentage of 40.7%.In the Finals specifically, he averaged only 4.4 points per game, setting the worst record in NBA history for a Sixth Man of the Year.

Johnson is entering the final year of his contract next season, earning $17.5 million. He will be eligible to sign a contract extension with the Spurs, worth up to four years and $110 million. However, given his disastrous performance in this year's Finals and the entire playoffs, their relationship may no longer be solid. He could become a trade asset this summer.

Competitive sports are always brutal, especially in the NBA, which follows the law of the jungle. When a player loses his value, it means he is not far from being phased out.