NBA Rumors: De'Aaron Fox Trade Talks Expected to Be Held by Kings Before Deadline
Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacek
Featured Columnist IVJanuary 28, 2025
De'Aaron Fox has never played for an NBA team outside of the Sacramento Kings, but that could change in the coming days.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported Tuesday that Sacramento is "expected to open up talks to potentially deal" the guard before the Feb. 6 trade deadline. Charania noted that "there will be plenty of suitors, but it's believed that Fox has a target destination in mind ahead of 2026 free agency."
Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that Rich Paul, Fox's agent, recently told the Kings it'd be "wise" to move the star:
Sam Amick @sam_amickSource: De'Aaron Fox's agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, recently sent word that it would be wise for the Kings to move him now. <br><br>Even with Fox's preferred destination - widely believed to be San Antonio - Fox's side will remain open to all destinations.<br><br>More here, at…
NBA insider Chris Haynes added that Fox "is zeroed in on" a particular landing spot:
Chris Haynes @ChrisBHaynesSources: Kings star De'Aaron Fox is zeroed in on landing spot as franchise looks to possibly move him. Interested teams will likely be discouraged from trading for him being he's set to become UFA in 2026. Fox's unwillingness to sign extension has positioned the situation here.
Kings insider James Ham later reported Fox's preferred destination is the San Antonio Spurs.
While much of the discussion leading up to the trade deadline at this point has centered around 35-year-old Jimmy Butler and 31-year-old Bradley Beal, Fox being available gives potential contenders a chance to add a star player near his peak with more than just the rest of this season remaining on his contract.
After all, the University of Kentucky product is signed through the 2025-26 campaign.
Don't expect the team to land Fox to be the Los Angeles Lakers even though there is a connection with the Purple and Gold's stars.
"One thing I can say, with Rich Paul, we know he's got LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the Lakers," Charania said on NBA Today. "I'm told the Lakers are not part of that destination of choice for De'Aaron Fox potentially."
That is welcome news for the rest of the Western Conference, as pairing Fox with James and Davis would put opposing defenses in situations where they had to choose their poison. They could not double all three players, and Fox has the quickness to take advantage of even the smallest sliver of space that would be created.
Another Western Conference contender may also be out of the running, as NBA insider Marc Stein reported the Houston Rockets prefer to "let this current group see how far it can go."
The 27-year-old is averaging 25.2 points, 6.2 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from deep. While the perimeter shooting could stand to be improved, he is still one of the best playmakers in the league and would provide a significant boost to whichever team trades for him.
He would also require a significant return, which could help the 24-22 Kings facilitate a quick reshuffling instead of a full-on rebuild in the coming year or two.
