There’s just a week until the NBA trade deadline, and it’s looking like Sacramento Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox will be one of the biggest names on the move. Fox has reportedly informed the Kings front office that he doesn’t intend to sign an extension once next season is over, in what essentially amounts to a trade request. The San Antonio Spurs are said to be the top name on his wishlist.
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The Fox situation serves as a counterpoint to the way Jimmy Butler has handled his own unhappiness in Miami, as he’s been loudly and publicly insubordinate in his quest for a new team. Lou Williams discussed the way Fox has handled his own situation on the latest episode of the Run It Back podcast, and he praised him for approaching this in a way that the Kings can get something good in return, saying,
“It’s a great thing for them to have this dialogue, for Sacramento not to be in the dark, because he could have just kept it close to his chest, went to free agency, and just walked away.”
Do DeMar DeRozan & Domantas Sabonis resent De’Aaron Fox for possibly leaving Sacramento?
“@ChandlerParsons doesn’t do one show, I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive him.” – @MichelleDBeadle
“No dialogue creates conflict…no different with the Kings.” – @TeamLou23
Sorry, CP pic.twitter.com/FwiiljafEg
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 29, 2025
Williams sees Fox’s handling of the situation as something his teammates will respect and understand:
“He could have been unfair to them in that nature. Now that this is going, this puts Sacramento in a position where they can put themselves in an opportunity where they can go out and get another guy.”
Domantas Sabonis is signed through 2028. DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk are signed through 2027. But these are veteran guys who are pros, and Williams believes they’ll have Fox’s back.
“We’re always on the side of the player, because whatever De’Aaron Fox is going through behind the scenes, if I’m his teammate, I’m probably going through it with him. I’m probably experiencing some of the same things.”
De’Aaron Fox has earned the right to make his own decisions about his career
Williams compared Fox’s situation to his own playing days when he was on the Clippers. He was a role player (although not a very good one), and as a result he didn’t have the same cachet within the organization that Kawhi Leonard or Paul George had, and that was OK.
“They’re wearing a different hat than I’m wearing. I’m the sixth man, I’m coming off the bench. Everything doesn’t have to be ran through me like it has to be ran through these guys… I don’t have the responsibilities that he has.”
NBA insiders have speculated that the Kings could get a package for Fox that includes fourth overall pick Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell, as well as draft compensation. Castle has had a very good rookie year, and with his trademark defensive intensity and better-than-advertised offensive game, he could quickly grow into the Kings’ new franchise point guard. Vassell is scoring over 16 points a game while shooting over 38 percent from three, and he would help fill the vacuum left by losing Fox’s scoring.
As for Fox, pairing with Victor Wembanyama is a wish no one could begrudge him for. If this trade happens, the Spurs will immediately be a team nobody wants to face.
