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 conversant in — 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.
Based on stories 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 very best plan of action could also be to commerce him.
The dynamic guard continues to be beneath contract for the remainder of this season and the subsequent, however his worth would possibly by no means be larger than it’s now, that means that the Kings might get a jumpstart on their subsequent window sooner moderately than later in the event that they play their playing cards proper. The group understands what’s at stake, which is why they’re reportedly listening to affords 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 most important prize forward of the Feb. 6 commerce deadline. Fox may very well be a game-changer for any group that acquires his providers, able to reworking an offence together 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 group that does handle to swing a deal for Fox might out of the blue skyrocket into one. With all that being stated, listed here are 5 doable commerce locations for the all-star guard.
With Victor Wembanyama’s meteoric rise to superstardom, the Spurs might need to maximize the window of rivalry across the participant predestined to turn into the face of the NBA by buying star expertise to encompass him with. Enter De’Aaron Fox.
Based on stories across the league, Fox needs to be in San Antonio, functioning because the second famous person alongside Wembanyama taking part in for one of the crucial secure franchises within the league.
Not solely does the match alongside Wembanyama make sense — together 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 beneath 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 might not have the win-now gamers Sacramento needs, a younger expertise like Stephon Fortress may very well be of curiosity.
When you’ve a expertise like Wembanyama in your constructing, a wise group will do every thing in its energy to win and win early on. The West is likely to be crowded, however playoff expertise goes a good distance. It is time to drive the window open.
Regardless of being second within the Western Convention, the Houston Rockets have a dilemma on their palms. Do you keep the course with a group that has gelled and developed a profitable identification or do you go “all-in” and get the famous person you are still missing?
There isn’t any actual go-to scorer in Houston; no singular drive that opposing groups are game-planning for. Although it has been a working components for the upstart group up to now, playoff basketball is frequently determined by these kinds of particular person abilities.
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 comfy placing the ball into much more unproven commodities like Jalen Inexperienced or Amen Thompson?
The speedy guard matches the group’s identification as a ball-hawking guard, able to utilizing his athleticism to leap passing lanes and run the break for a group 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 may very well be the group to observe.
Because it stands, the Magic have the second-worst offence within the league with a 107.6 offensive ranking. They’ve the worst three-point share (30.7), third-worst discipline objective share (43.9) and fourth-worst assists per sport (23.4), but they’ve nonetheless discovered a method to make it work.
For a group struggling mightily within the half-court, De’Aaron Fox — although not a cure-all — would fill a much-needed gap as a official table-setter and offensive dynamo. If any group wants Fox’s providers, it is the Magic. He would additionally match properly into their defence — as Jalen Suggs takes on the hardest on-ball task, Fox would be capable to roam extra freely and use his instincts to leap passing lanes off the ball.
When it comes to a return, the Magic can supply 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’ll additionally swing Sacramento a tantalizing haul of draft capital to sweeten the pot.
Regardless of the obvious concern that comes with dropping a man like De’Aaron Fox, the Kings reportedly need “win-now gamers” in any return, in keeping with ESPN’s Shams Charania. Miami offers the very best “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 will 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 observe file 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 attention-grabbing story this season, conserving 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 could 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 group in a questionable Jap 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 growing older 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 might go a good distance, particularly when it is one as proficient as Fox, who would instantly add a brand new wrinkle to the group’s below-average tempo.
However the considered the Kings buying and selling their finest star in many years to their largest rivals might be sickening, and out of precept, one thing the entrance workplace and the fanbase seemingly need to keep away from.
Moreover, the Lakers solely have two first-rounders to supply Sacramento (2029 and 2031) and haven’t got gamers the Kings needs to be curious about. It is essentially the most unlikely state of affairs listed, however Wealthy Paul is aware of find out how to make his purchasers completely happy, so ruling something out is likely to be shortsighted.
