If the Spurs want him for NOTHING, then the Spurs can wait two years while he plays out his contract, waste those years of Fox and Wemby developing chemistry, make sure they clear enough salary space to sign him outright, and hope that in the meantime Fox doesn't change his mind or get badly injured.
Or, they can make us an offer that at the very least matches the market offer from any team not called The Spurs who wants to take a Webber-style risk on convincing Fox to stay. That way, they get Fox for certain, and they get to have him and Wemby develop chemistry before Fox's window closes. Their call.
We don't have to take an insulting offer because Fox only wants to go to one team.
Yep. And here's the thing, even the "one" team never messes around because they don't want to screw up the chance to get the star. They can't low-ball us because we can just say "Nooooo" for another year. We have this deadline, off-season and next year's deadline before our backs' up against the wall. I'd obviously prefer to not keep the team in limbo for another year and just get this done now, but we do not have to take pennies on the dollar right now. And the clock immediately was one the second Wemby was drafted; you know every "big market" team is chomping at the bit for the Spurs to screw up their Wemby window. How's that going to go when you tell Wemby "Hey man, we had a Fox deal on the table, but we're going to wait another year and a half. Cool?"
I mean when I saw old fat James Harden who came into camp totally out of shape, had no interest ever playing in HOU again still get 4 FRP and 3 pick swaps... just sealed that team's do not care when a star is involved. When one is available, they pay the tag.