Kings Trade Rumors: De’Aaron Fox More Likely To Be Available This Summer

Sacramento Kings star guard De’Aaron Fox has not asked for a trade, but that hasn’t stopped interested teams from inquiring about the eight-year veteran, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Anthony Slater.

Kings Trade Rumors: Lakers, Heat, Magic, Rockets, And Spurs Have Been Named As Potential Landing Spots For De’Aaron Fox

Although teams have been in contact with the Kings regarding Fox, there is “a strong belief that Fox is more likely to be available this summer rather than before the Feb. 6 trade deadline,” wrote Amick and Slater.

The Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, and San Antonio Spurs have all been listed by NBA insiders as teams that are most often discussed as possible Fox landing spots.

Other teams mentioned include the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets. The Magic are still deciding whether or not to pursue the 2023 All-Star guard, while the Rockets are currently evaluating their core through this season.

The Rockets could be Fox’s next season since he’s a Houston native. However, Amick and Slater made it clear that San Antonio is most intrigued by the prospect of adding Fox.

For the time being, with the Kings (15-19) sitting 12th in the Western Conference, sources close to the team are reporting that Sacramento is focused on improving the current roster while ignoring all inquiries regarding Fox.

De’Aaron Fox, 27, is in the fourth season of the five-year, $164 million rookie-scale contract extension he signed in 2020. The Kentucky product is aiming to qualify for a supermax extension this summer.

Fox will be eligible for a five-year, $345 million supermax deal if he’s selected to one of the three All-NBA teams this season

Prior to the 2024-25 season, Fox turned down a three-year, $165 million maximum extension with the Kings. That decision was made because he’s eligible for a four-year, $229 million max extension this summer. If he’s selected to one of the three All-NBA teams this season, he will be eligible for a five-year, $345 million supermax deal.

But even if Fox receives an All-NBA honor, that doesn’t mean he’ll stay put with the Kings. While on “The Draymond Green Show” on Dec. 17, Fox said he enjoys playing in Sactown and would love to retire with the team but also wants to win a championship.

“That’s where I’m at. I love the city, I love being here, and I raised my family here. Would love to be here and retire here. How many people can say they played for one organization for their whole career? I also wanna win. They know I am going to give all I got, but at the end of the day, the organization has also got to give all they got. That’s where we are right now,” Fox said.

The former NBA Clutch Player of the Year knows he’ll make a lot of money playing anywhere.

Through 34 games (all starts) this season, he’s averaging 26.8 points, 6.2 assists, 1.6 steals, and career highs of 5.0 rebounds and 37.2 minutes per contest. Swipa is also shooting 49.2% from the field, 32.9% from 3-point range, and a career-best 80.4% at the foul line.

The Kings fired head coach Mike Brown on Dec. 27 while the team was in the midst of a five-game losing streak. General manager Monte McNair called the move a “difficult decision” and thanked Brown for his achievements with the organization.

Assistant Doug Christie was then named the interim head coach.