Two years faraway from being the feel-good story of the NBA, the Sacramento Kings discover themselves in a spot the franchise is all too accustomed to — limbo.
Although they’re 7-3 of their final 10 and 11-4 since parting methods with head coach Mike Brown, the Kings’ window for rivalry appears shut. Now, solely three seasons after selecting to construct round De’Aaron Fox over Tyrese Haliburton and buying and selling the latter for Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento is at a crossroads with their chosen saviour.
In response to studies from The Athletic and ESPN, Fox — via his agent Wealthy Paul of Klutch Sports activities — has knowledgeable the group that he does not intend on staying long-term and the most effective plan of action could also be to commerce him.
The dynamic guard remains to be below contract for the remainder of this season and the subsequent, however his worth would possibly by no means be greater than it’s now, which means that the Kings may get a jumpstart on their subsequent window sooner slightly than later in the event that they play their playing cards proper. The workforce understands what’s at stake, which is why they’re reportedly listening to gives on the 27-year-old and should select to money in.
Any return for the guard is bound to be immense, as he instantly turns into the largest prize forward of the Feb. 6 commerce deadline. Fox might be a game-changer for any workforce that acquires his companies, able to reworking an offence along with his pace and penchant for clutch scoring whereas including a succesful point-of-attack defence and ball-hawking.
Whereas the Kings might not be contenders anymore, any workforce that does handle to swing a deal for Fox may instantly skyrocket into one. With all that being mentioned, listed here are 5 attainable commerce locations for the all-star guard.
With Victor Wembanyama‘s meteoric rise to superstardom, the Spurs might wish to maximize the window of rivalry across the participant predestined to grow to be the face of the NBA by buying star expertise to encompass him with. Enter De’Aaron Fox.
In response to studies across the league, Fox desires to be in San Antonio, functioning because the second famous person alongside Wembanyama taking part in for one of the crucial steady franchises within the league.
Not solely does the match alongside Wembanyama make sense — along with his absurd pace additional confounding defences already puzzled by Wemby’s dimension and floor-spacing — however financially, the Spurs are one of many squads that may afford to take him on and pay him a max within the coming years. They’ve the third-lowest payroll within the league and Wembanyama will nonetheless be taking part in below a rookie contract via the 2026-27 season.
San Antonio additionally has the property to make the deal work. They’ve 4 first-rounders in 2025 and all their very own picks till 2031. Moreover, although they could not have the win-now gamers Sacramento desires, a younger expertise like Stephon Fortress might be of curiosity.
When you could have a expertise like Wembanyama in your constructing, a wise workforce will do every little thing in its energy to win and win early on. The West could be crowded, however playoff expertise goes a good distance. It is time to power the window open.
Regardless of being second within the Western Convention, the Houston Rockets have a dilemma on their fingers. Do you keep the course with a workforce that has gelled and developed a profitable id or do you go “all-in” and get the famous person you are still missing?
There is not any actual go-to scorer in Houston; no singular power that opposing groups are game-planning for. Although it has been a working formulation for the upstart workforce to this point, playoff basketball is usually determined by these kinds of particular person skills.
Fox does not precisely have the playoff pedigree, having solely appeared in a single post-season sequence over his eight-year NBA profession. However when hard-fought video games come all the way down to crunch time, are the Rockets extra snug placing the ball into much more unproven commodities like Jalen Inexperienced or Amen Thompson?
The speedy guard suits the workforce’s id as a ball-hawking guard, able to utilizing his athleticism to leap passing lanes and run the break for a workforce that makes their cash in transition. And although they do not have as a lot draft capital because the Spurs, they’ve prospects that the Kings might covet in guys like third-overall decide Reed Sheppard or sophomore Cam Whitmore. If the Kings worth gamers greater than picks, Houston might be the workforce to observe.
Because it stands, the Magic have the second-worst offence within the league with a 107.6 offensive score. They’ve the worst three-point proportion (30.7), third-worst discipline objective proportion (43.9) and fourth-worst assists per recreation (23.4), but they’ve nonetheless discovered a technique to make it work.
For a workforce struggling mightily within the half-court, De’Aaron Fox — although not a cure-all — would fill a much-needed gap as a reliable table-setter and offensive dynamo. If any workforce wants Fox’s companies, it is the Magic. He would additionally match properly into their defence — as Jalen Suggs takes on the hardest on-ball task, Fox would have the ability to roam extra freely and use his instincts to leap passing lanes off the ball.
By way of a return, the Magic can provide up kids like 2023 sixth-overall decide Anthony Black or rookie Tristan Da Silva. With two first-rounders in 2025 and all their picks till 2031, they will additionally swing Sacramento a tantalizing haul of draft capital to sweeten the pot.
Regardless of the evident concern that comes with shedding a man like De’Aaron Fox, the Kings reportedly need “win-now gamers” in any return, based on ESPN’s Shams Charania. Miami offers the most effective “win-now” package deal on the market centred round disgruntled star Jimmy Butler.
The match is questionable for Sacramento, as Butler can be taking part in alongside DeMar DeRozan who occupies comparable spots on the ground. It could additionally additional crowd the lane for Sabonis, who does injury contained in the arc, discovering guys on the perimeter to kick out to. Neither Butler nor DeRozan are precisely the sort to face round within the nook ready for a play to develop. However if you wish to proceed to win now, Butler has a confirmed monitor document of doing simply that.
Miami, in the meantime, would get an actual level guard to enhance Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo. They have been an fascinating story this season, preserving their head above water regardless of pervasive outdoors (and inside) noise. They’ve the Tenth-ranked defence and will use a lift on the opposite finish of the ground, which Fox can present in spades.
In all, it might be a pleasant double-whammy for Miami, lastly eliminating Butler and doing so for a package deal that retains them in rivalry as a frisky workforce in a questionable Japanese Convention.
When Wealthy Paul is concerned, the Los Angeles Lakers at all times should be a part of the dialog.
The Lakers are in determined want of a 3rd star, because the ageing LeBron James and injury-prone Anthony Davis merely aren’t sufficient to maintain them in lockstep with younger, aggressive and athletic groups just like the Thunder or Rockets.
Although there are a number of wants for the Lakers, a secondary ball-handler to alleviate the load on James and Austin Reaves may go a good distance, particularly when it is one as proficient as Fox, who would instantly add a brand new wrinkle to the workforce’s below-average tempo.
However the considered the Kings buying and selling their greatest star in a long time to their greatest rivals might be sickening, and out of precept, one thing the entrance workplace and the fanbase probably wish to keep away from.
Moreover, the Lakers solely have two first-rounders to supply Sacramento (2029 and 2031) and do not have gamers the Kings must be eager about. It is probably the most unlikely situation listed, however Wealthy Paul is aware of how one can make his shoppers completely happy, so ruling something out could be shortsighted.
