The Sacramento Kings Are Officially Open To Trading De'Aaron Fox

Katelyn Mulcahy. Getty Images.

Hell yeah! Finally some trade rumors of substance that don't involve Jimmy Butler! This is what I'm talking about. It's already going to be hard enough for teams to pull off major trades after this new disastrous CBA came into play, so at this point I'll take anything I can get that isn't "Jimmy Butler actually doesn't want to go to Team X" or that "The Heat are lowering their price on Jimmy Butler". Enough already, we're all tired of that saga at this point.

But this? A Fox trade out of SAC? That has my attention. Remember, they traded Tyrese Haliburton because Fox was their point guard of the future, and now here we are just a few years later and they're already shopping him? Not great! 

Now, to understand why they may be doing this, you have to go back a few months to early October. 

This is something that's pretty standard with a player of Fox's caliber. You see players turn down that early extension all the time, mostly because if they make All NBA it would then trigger a supermax extension. This is basically standard operating procedure if you're a player with All NBA talent, and Fox had made All NBA back in 2022-23

In the 2025 offseason, Fox will be eligible for a four-year, $229 million extension. But here’s where it gets interesting: if the eighth-year man out of Kentucky makes an All-NBA team, as he did in 2023, he would be eligible for a five-year, $345 million supermax. 

That would be the biggest contract in NBA history, far surpassing the current record of five years, $314 million that Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum signed this offseason. Fox has two years remaining on his current deal, so he would hit the open market in the 2027 offseason if he opts to not sign any extension in Sacramento.

You'd be silly to accept $165M when a good season could have you doubling that total, and remember Fox does still have $37M guaranteed next year. Even if he were not not make All NBA, I'm not a big math guy but $229M seems more than $165M.

Fox turning down that early extension was, for the most part, a nothing burger.

But, then the season happened.

The Kings as a team underachieved before firing Mike Brown, and all season we've heard more and more rumblings that given all the dysfunction happening around the team, that Fox staying in SAC wasn't some sort of slam dunk.

So as an organization, this is pretty much what you have to do. Fox can be an UFA after next season, if the Kings know he's not going to re-up this summer and play out that expiring deal with no intention of re-signing, then you have to trade him. Not only that, but you have to do it while he's not an expiring deal. Why would a team give you anything close to what you want if that player can bolt after that season?

See: The Jimmy Butler saga

The way Shams has that tweet worded, it does seem like the De'Aarnon Fox Era in SAC is cooked. It also doesn't help that it's already being leaked out there that he has a free agent team in mind, because 

A). That team might not have to even trade for Fox if they can open up the space by the time he hits the market

B). Why would any other team trade for him if he doesn't want to extend there?

It really puts the Kings in a bit of a pickle. As of now, they sit in 10th in the West, but are just 2 games out of a top 6 seed. Their run after moving to Doug Christie as the coach has paid off (7-3 in their last 10). If you now can only get 60-70 cents on the dollar for Fox, does that mean you're punting on a season while still very much alive for a top 6 seed?

Who might Fox prefer? That's where it gets interesting. He makes just over $34M this season which might seem like a lot, but is definitely movable. Could it be someone like the Lakers? Maybe they throw in those 2 1st round picks LeBron is demanding they trade, and you use the salaries of guys like Rui/Vincent/Vanderbilt/Knecht etc. The point is, they have enough mid-sized salaries to make it work and they definitely need a point guard.

What about someone like Orlando? They also need guard help, can find way to get to Fox's salary and they fit his age timeline. 

How about the Rockets? Get out of the FVV contract ($42M) and throw some picks and some young prospects and they suddenly look even more ready to contend in the West. 

Is it crazy to think MIN might be an option? I know they wanted to trim salary which is why they traded KAT, but if you can get out of the Randle contract ($33M) and upgrade the point guard spot over Mike Conley, I think you have to entertain that idea, especially if you're not going to extend Randle.

This is what makes this part of the NBA calendar so much fun. Sure there are exhausting rumors like what we're seeing with Butler, but there's also the potential for chaos with other All Star caliber players. It's why Rumor SZN is so much fun.

And if there's one thing we know, it's that there's no way the Kings handle this in a way that works out for them and they come out on top. Any other organization maybe, but if this season has shown us anything it's that the KANGZ are still the KANGZ.