The Sacramento Kings made a blockbuster move at the trade deadline, sending their star Point Guard De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs. This was part of a three-team trade with the Spurs and Chicago Bulls that got the Kings Zach LaVine, Sidy Cissoko, and three first-round draft picks.
The Spurs landed Fox and Jordan McLaughlin, while the Bulls received Zach Collins, Tre Jones, Kevin Huerter, and their own 2025 first-round pick. Losing a franchise player like Fox is a tough blow for the Sacramento Kings, and the return they got puts them in an interesting middle-ground position.
The Sacramento Kings Return
The biggest piece the Sacramento Kings got back in the trade was LaVine. LaVine is having an excellent season, averaging 24.0 points per game and shooting a career-high 51.1% from the field and 44.6% from three. The 29-year-old was not considered for All-Star hype but has quietly been more efficient than ever this season.
Now, he reunites with his former teammate, DeMar DeRozan in Sacramento. Admittedly, running back the nucleus of a Chicago team that never made it past the first round of the playoffs does not sound appealing. The Sacramento Kings have Domantas Sabonis, Keon Ellis, and other pieces to try and make it work.
The Kings also got Cissoko, a young 20-year-old guard. He received very little playing time in San Antonio, so the second-year player is relatively unknown. The Sacramento Kings will hope to develop him into a rotational player. They also received three first-round picks, but they are deceiving.
They received the Charlotte Hornets 2025 first-round pick, but it is lottery-protected, so unless the Hornets suddenly improve, its value diminishes significantly. They also got the Spurs 2027 first-round pick, but they will likely be a contender by then with their current trajectory. Finally, they acquired an unprotected 2031 pick from Minnesota, which could be good or bad.
The Kings Outlook
Moving forward, the Sacramento Kings have an interesting outlook. In this trade, the Spurs made out like bandits. They kept Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, and other key young players. Meanwhile, the Kings’ marquee get was LaVine and an underwhelming haul of draft capital. He is a great player, but adding him does not drastically improve their playoff hopes. Also, the draft picks they acquired don’t look as good as advertised. The Sacramento Kings hold a 24-24 record and are the tenth seed in the Western Conference.
With Fox, the Sacramento Kings had a young franchise player. The team was turning a corner after a disappointing start when they fired Mike Brown. Fox’s trade request shook things up. Now, they have a hypothetical starting lineup of Ellis or Malik Monk, LaVine, DeRozan, Keegan Murray, and Sabonis.
This is still an intriguing team that can make a playoff push. In a stacked Western Conference, it will be tough to make it out of the play-in tournament. Sacramento still has the talent to make noise but taking on LaVine’s massive contract and an underwhelming haul makes the future bleak.
Final Thoughts
The Sacramento Kings were on a positive trajectory with Fox and their new Head Coach Doug Christie, but this trade has shaken things up in the Western Conference. With Fox, the Spurs look poised to make a playoff push this season and could overtake Sacramento in the process. The Sacramento Kings added another ball-dominant scorer in LaVine. If he can mesh well with their current core, the Kings could rise in the standings. If not, his huge contract and the other assets and first-round draft picks they got in the trade may have an underwhelming result.
