San Antonio Spurs-De'Aaron Fox

Sacramento Kings Open to Trading All-NBA Guard

Ana Kieu

The Sacramento Kings are open to trading point guard De’Aaron Fox, sources told ESPN. Fox, 27, has played for the Kings since being selected with the fifth overall pick in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft. Fox previously played college basketball at Kentucky from 2016-17, with whom he received McDonald’s All-American honors in 2016 and First-Team All-SEC, SEC All-Freshman Team, and SEC tournament MVP honors in 2017. 

With the Kings, Fox received NBA All-Star, All-NBA Third Team, and NBA Clutch Player of the Year honors in 2023 and an NBA steals leader honor in 2024. Fox’s resume can be described as “impressive,” despite never winning an NBA title in his eight-year career and counting, but things can change in the coming months. Read on for further details. 

Sacramento Kings to Open Up Talks 

The Sacramento Kings are reportedly set to open up talks for a potential De’Aaron Fox trade ahead of the February 6 deadline, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Tuesday. Fox has been averaging 25.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game while shooting 46.8% from the field goal line and 32.4% from the three-point line this season.  

Charania, 30, took to X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday afternoon to post, “JUST IN: The Sacramento Kings are expected to open up talks to potentially deal All-Star De’Aaron Fox ahead of Feb. 6 trade deadline, sources tell ESPN. There will be plenty of suitors, but it’s believed that Fox has a target destination in mind ahead of 2026 free agency.”

James Ham, a co-host of “The Insiders” for ESPN 1320 Sacramento, took to X to post, “According to multiple sources, if De’Aaron Fox leaves the Kings via trade, his preferred landing spot is the San Antonio Spurs. It could be an interesting couple of days in Sacramento.” Charania’s and Ham’s posts on X likely left the NBA world to come up with endless possibilities, such as Fox joining Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio, Texas. 

De’Aaron Fox in 2024-25

Aside from this season’s regular-season stats, De’Aaron Fox has been attracting attention to himself for the right reasons. Fox had two spectacular games earlier this season, the first being the Kings’ 130-126 overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves when he scored 60 points and shot 62.9% from the field and the other being the Kings’  121-117 win over the Utah Jazz when he scored 49 points and shot 53.0% from the field. 

The Kings’ struggles early in the 2024-25 NBA season were obvious. As a result, Sacramento parted ways with head coach Mike Brown, an arguably unnecessary move as the Kings’ players could’ve also been blamed for underperforming, including in clutch games. The Kings’ new coach, Doug Christie, has changed the rotation, which shined amid Fox’s right thumb strain as Keon Ellis and Devin Carter entered as starters.

Sacramento Kings’ 2024-25 Outlook

The Sacramento Kings’ 2024-25 outlook is trending in the right direction. It’s up to the Kings regarding a return to the NBA playoffs after falling short in 2023-24, but the Kings’ potential De’Aaron Fox trade has dropped the Kings’ NBA playoff chances. Fox has reportedly preferred the San Antonio Spurs but will remain open to all trade destinations.

If Fox goes to the Spurs, the Spurs’ issues can partially be fixed amid head coach Gregg Popovich’s absence due to a stroke suffered on November 2, 2024. Fox’s presence can help lighten Victor Wembanyama’s load of carrying the Spurs on his back. The Spurs are just 20-23 ahead of Thursday night’s home game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the AT&T Center, with tip-off at 7:00 p.m. Central. 

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