Two and a half years ago, De’Aaron Fox hired Rich Paul and Klutch Sports to represent him. At the time, Fox made it clear the decision to do so wasn’t because he wanted out of Sacramento, and that was true. But one of the reasons you hire Paul is because he is, as “The Godfather” made famous, a wartime consigliere. If you have to undertake the unpleasantness of extracting yourself mid-contract, Paul has shown he can help make it happen.
That time, for Fox, apparently has arrived.
This isn’t being framed as a trade demand, but since Fox’s actions last summer, when he turned down a contract extension offer, the Kings have effectively been on the clock. Subsequently, this season has not gone according to plan, either. The free agent addition of DeMar DeRozan has generated good stats but fewer victories — the Kings are three games worse than they were at this point last year — and Fox’s role has diminished.
There was also the sloppy firing of coach Mike Brown, a move that was not welcomed by Fox. The star guard and Brown had developed a productive working relationship, sources said, and Fox had to go on a self-run media campaign to distance himself from the firing because Brown had criticized him for a defensive gaffe during his last night on the job. The Kings’ front office never called a news conference to explain the decision, leaving Fox to manage the fallout.
The Kings have turned their season around since, going 11-4 under interim coach Doug Christie. But despite that, they’re still 10th in the Western Conference, and if the season ended today, the Kings would need to win two play-in games on the road just to make the playoffs. Fox’s feelings about committing long term have remained unchanged. And the Kings, judging the landscape at this trade deadline, have decided to be a possible first mover. — Brian Windhorst
How Fox fits in:
San Antonio | Houston | Los Angeles
Miami | Road blocks to a deal
Four teams that could work for Fox. Would they work for the Kings?
Given San Antonio is currently 12th in the West, adding Fox would be more about setting up for 2025-26 and beyond than a playoff run this spring. But Fox’s preferred destination would represent an opportunity to team up with Victor Wembanyama during his ascent to perhaps becoming the league’s best player.
We’ve already seen this season what adding a pick-and-roll maestro in Chris Paul could do to level up Wembanyama’s offense. Fox can’t match that level of craft, but he is more of a scoring threat than Paul and would be a long-term pick-and-roll partner.
In return, San Antonio could build a package around wing Keldon Johnson and either Paul or Tre Jones that would allow the Kings more cap flexibility. The trouble is neither Paul nor Jones would be a long-term replacement at point guard if Sacramento wants to contend.
The primary value to the Kings would surely come via draft picks. San Antonio has unprotected picks from the Atlanta Hawks both this year and in 2027, a top-10 protected pick from the Chicago Bulls that drops to top-eight protection each of the next two drafts and a 2031 first-rounder from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Spurs also could return to Sacramento the 2031 pick swap they landed as part of the trade that brought DeMar DeRozan to the Kings last summer.
If Sacramento is going to trade Fox to a non-desired destination, the Rockets are the most logical partner. The Kings would acquire Fred VanVleet as a replacement point guard — a modest downgrade from Fox — along with some of Houston’s promising young talent and a stockpile of draft picks.
Realistically, the Rockets’ A-level prospects probably would be off-limits given the uncertainty about getting Fox to sign an extension in Houston. That still could leave 2023 first-round pick Cam Whitmore, who has excelled in limited minutes and would get more opportunity with the Kings.
Because of the Stepien Rule (which requires teams to have at least one future first-rounder in every other draft), the Rockets can’t currently trade the valuable swap rights they have with Phoenix’s 2025 first-round pick. However, Houston holds the Suns’ pick outright in 2027 and the two best picks between the Rockets’ own, the Dallas Mavericks’ and Phoenix’s in 2029. All of those first-rounders have considerable upside.
Already second in the West, Houston would solidify its contender bona fides by adding Fox. In his lone playoff appearance, Fox averaged 27.4 points per game as Sacramento took the defending champion Golden State Warriors to seven games in a 2023 first-round series.
Fox shares an agent (Rich Paul) with Lakers stars Anthony Davis and LeBron James, meaning they’d know better than anyone whether he’d be willing to sign an extension to play alongside them in Los Angeles.
Although the Lakers have no shortage of needs, a premier shot creator to help James is at the top of the list. Fox’s 16.4 drives per game rank fourth in the NBA, per Second Spectrum tracking on NBA Advanced Stats. No Laker is averaging more than Austin Reaves’ 10.6, which ranks 46th. Adding that dimension would give the Lakers a realistic chance at a top-four seed in the West and the kind of playoff run from when they reached the 2023 Western Conference finals.
At 27, Fox is younger than the stars usually linked to the Lakers and would be an anchor for a post-James era alongside Davis. The question is whether the Lakers could make an attractive enough offer to the Kings, even if they include unprotected first-round picks in both 2029 and 2031.
Unlike the other teams involved, the Lakers can’t offer Sacramento a replacement for Fox at point guard. And unless the Lakers are willing to deal Reaves, the Kings would have to take back either wing Jarred Vanderbilt or guard Gabe Vincent.
Fox wants a trade. Jimmy Butler wants a trade. Problem solved?
Sacramento made a lot of sense as a Butler destination … but to play with Fox, not replace him on the roster. And putting Fox in the Heat backcourt next to Tyler Herro would inevitably lead to overlap. Still, this is Miami, so a trade for a star who could be convinced to stick around South Beach and form an All-Star duo with former Kentucky teammate Bam Adebayo is always a realistic possibility.
In a fantasy world, the Kings and Heat could swap Herro (another former Wildcat) and Butler for a package built around DeRozan, Fox and Kevin Huerter, which just about matches in salary terms. Miami would undoubtedly improve by having more reliable and more motivated perimeter players, while Sacramento might have more playoff upside with the duo that helped the Heat to the 2020 Finals. (Butler was key to Miami’s 2023 Finals run, but Herro missed most of those playoffs due to injury.)
In practice, finding the right value in a Miami-Sacramento trade would surely be difficult. The Heat are probably better off hoping Fox doesn’t sign an extension and heads to free agency in 2026, when they can create max-level cap space. — Kevin Pelton
Roadblocks that could derail a Fox trade
The Kings have aggressively built their roster around Fox and fellow All-Star Domantas Sabonis, but will now be tasked with reshaping their roster.
Their previous seven trades, including adding DeMar DeRozan last summer, have cost Sacramento one first-round pick (2023), the right to swap first-round picks (2031) and six second-round picks. They owe the Atlanta Hawks a 2025 top-12 protected first-rounder from the 2022 trade to acquire Kevin Huerter, and the protection drops to top-10 if it doesn’t convey this year. (As of right now it would convey, because the Kings are in the 13th slot before the draft lottery.)
The Kings are $3.2 million below the luxury tax and $7 million below the first apron — and they cannot exceed the first apron, due to the sign-and-trade that brought in DeRozan, meaning they can’t take back too much more than Fox’s current $34.8 million salary in a deal.
And while there should be a list of teams willing to acquire Fox, who has two years and more than $70 million remaining on his contract, there are multiple risks opposing front offices should weigh.
First, Fox already turned down a three-year, $165 million extension with Sacramento last offseason and can be a free agent in 2026. Teams that could be interested will want to know if Fox is willing to commit long term this summer. He would become eligible to sign a four-year, $229 million extension six months after he is traded.
However, being traded would eliminate any possibility of earning a supermax extension, even if Fox was named to an All-NBA team this season. (To be supermax eligible, players must be with their original team, or have been traded while still on their rookie contract.)
Unless owner Vivek Ranadivé gets involved, the Kings front office has leverage in trade talks for multiple reasons.
As we mentioned above, there is no sense of urgency because Fox is not a free agent this summer. Sacramento can wait until after the postseason, evaluate the draft and then take a more aggressive approach targeting teams who underachieve in the postseason.
More importantly, the Kings can use the fact that Fox is eligible to renegotiate this summer to their advantage.
For example, the Spurs — Fox’s preferred destination, per Shams Charania — are projected to have cap space this offseason. If Fox were traded to San Antonio (or any other team with significant cap space), he would be permitted to renegotiate his salary from $37.1 million to $46.4 million six months after the deal, in addition to being eligible to sign a four-year, $229 million extension that starts in 2026-27. If Fox were traded in the offseason, the earliest he could renegotiate and then extend his contract with a team like San Antonio is in January. — Bobby Marks
Source: espn.com