Star guard De’Aaron Fox‘s agent — Klutch Sports founder and CEO Rich Paul — met with Kings general manager Monte McNair and assistant general manager Wes Wilcox on Thursday. According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Anthony Slater, the meeting focused on what the long-term plan around Fox would be.
Fox declined a three-year, $165MM extension from the Kings in the offseason and isn’t interested in fighting for a lower-seed playoff spot for the rest of his career. He recently discussed the decision to turn down that extension, explaining that he wants the club to show it’s capable of seriously contending for a championship.
While Fox hasn’t asked for a trade, Amick and Slater write that the Kings star and his agent are reading the room to see what the Kings’ vision is. Fox has another year left on his deal and would qualify for a five-year, $345MM super-max contract if he makes an All-NBA selection this year.
The Kings aren’t a bad team, but they’ve been inconsistent in the first half and there’s little room for inconsistency in a competitive Western Conference, where they rank 12th at 13-15. Fox has stated multiple times that he likes the idea of spending his entire career with one franchise and he has been a major force in the local community. But with Sacramento stuck on the outside looking in for now, opposing teams have started to circle.
League sources tell Amick and Slater that the Spurs are “positioning themselves” to pursue a trade for Fox should he become available, eyeing him to be a long-term partner with Victor Wembanyama. Other teams would likely join San Antonio as suitors if Sacramento considers a trade.
While the Kings have shortened the rotation and their record isn’t inspiring thus far, they are still just three games out of a top-five seed in the West. They’re armed with proven NBA players like Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray and Malik Monk, among others, and they’ve suffered several tight losses, with a 3-9 record in games decided by five points or less.
The Kings know they need an upgrade and are specifically targeting backup centers and wings. Among the names on their short list are Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant, Jazz forward John Collins, Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas, Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma, and Nets forward Cameron Johnson, according to Amick and Slater. They’ve also expressed some lesser interest in Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith, while a bigger trade for Brandon Ingram or Zach LaVine seems unlikely at this juncture.
Fox is having one of his most productive seasons yet, averaging 26.2 points, 6.1 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. But while his production is up, head coach Mike Brown has challenged him to do even more. As Amick and Slater report, there’s some pressure on the Kings to further fortify their roster to convince him to re-up long term.
Kings are like the Bulls of a few years ago, good players but are any of them superstars? Adding derozan was terrible. He’s not a needle mover. They needed more athleticism and shooting. I think the opportunity to become contenders passed up after last year. West will only get better.
Fox is definitely better than any player the Bulls had since Jimmy Butler
Oh I agree. I’m not even debating that. The rosters are similar though and I’m worried they might not ascend to the elite level of west contenders as some might have thought after 2023 playoffs.
I don’t understand why they drafted a guy with a known injury. They are not on OKC level where they can wait on a pick to recover. Kings should have used the pick to Kevin out of town or not drafted an injured back up pg.
Yeah that pick for me was a ‘huh, what the?
That was before the injury.
Kings need Trader Bob to solve the problem
All problems can be solved
I called it miracle trade
Example
Lakers traded away Westbrook a couple years ago
Kings can do miracle trade for DeRozan
Without miracle trade, Kings are doomed
Lesson learned
If you want to win, You don’t sign someone like DeRozan or Paul George
You don’t
My Trade Idea
Rockets get Fox, Huerter
Kings get Thompson, Eason, VanVleet
Future salary management
Rockets need to trade away Smith in 2026
Kings can resign VanVleet 4 years $100M (agent Rich Paul)
Lakers would offer miracle trade
DLo and Rui for Fox
Lakers add two protected Firsts – Fake Firsts?
Lakers Rich Paul to force the trade?
Dem DeR is a future HOFer ……. Uou are a wannabe . Stop embarrassing yourself.
He’s putting up 22 pts, 4 rebounds, 4 ast on a new team. After 20 gms. Use that needle please
The Kings have done a very poor job building around Fox, he is a slasher and developed into one of the best mid range shot makers of the league. That means he needs spacing around him. Sabonis is an ok fit, but then to sign DeMar Derozan who is an awful 3pt shooter and mediocre defender (and old) was an awful decision. LaVine, Ingram would be wayyy better options around Fox.
It all started with the Haliburton trade. Kings have made idiotic choice after idiotic choice since.
Sabonis will never be a #1 guy on a contender. He’s a great #3 guy on a contender, but he’s failing out as a top 2/main guy.
I dont mind the Haliburton x Sabonis trade but maybe had they waited longer they could have gotten a better return for Tyrese. But they lacked big time building around Fox and Sabonis. No rim protecting big to make up for Sabonis lack of it. Not many shooters around, no real wing besides Keegan now that Harisson Barnes left. Terrible.
difficult to add to Haliburton’s value when there were no substantial minutes to give him at the 1 spot though. based on the season they had straight after I think it’s hard to argue that it was a bad trade.
Also, saying they would be the 8th seed in the east doesnt help at all lol
Also when 20 out of 30 total teams are involved in the postseason it really doesn’t help.
If the spurs can sign Fox in free agency without a sign and trade that would make them a top 4 team in the west.
Came here to echo this. Fox and Wemby is terrifying. Just add 3 plus-defenders and its chip city.
Very rare we sign someone of his caliber in free agency. Not saying it can’t happen, but history is not on our side.
It’d be easy for the Spurs to pull off, Keldon Johnson, Zach Collins a protected first and an unprotected first for De’Aron Fox. They have several other midrange contracts in Jones and Barnes(lol) as well if the Kings like other players. They also have four 1sts (the Charlotte pick is protected 1-4) in the upcoming draft.If Fox is leaving after next season anyway that’s a good haul in return.
It would take a lot more than that to land him. You’re looking at multiple first round picks, Vassell, and Castle. If Bridges goes for 5 first rounders with a couple that aren’t protected, can’t imagine what Fox would take in.
Fox won’t be traded until next summer, if at all. He’ll have to refuse the extension at that time; the fact that he’s not extending now isn’t meaningful. Mitchell, for one, declined extensions until the summer before their last fixed contract season. It’s only then that he’ll have the leverage to force a trade. If he wants a trade, then he’ll get it, but its unlikely that it will be to his desired destination.
They are an all offense focused team, yes the NBA is mostly offense but you can’t be lazy and unfocused on defense the whole game. I think the Kings messed up by coveting Keegan way too much, he was an older rookie so his ceiling isn’t that high. He hasn’t taken a huge leap. It would be foolish paying him a max. They could have had an OG or Siakam maybe both because they would have included Kevin, Barnes, and 1st(the Carter kid hasn’t even played so no loss in the 1st being traded).
The Kings did this to themselves. They’ve doubled down on questionable roster fit and stuck with Brown for too long. This result wasn’t unpredictable at all, especially since some of the younger players haven’t made another leap.
McNair hasn’t done an outright terrible job, but he should be on the hot seat at the very least.
Spurs, Heat and about 15 other teams be in on Fox. Yes, good landing spot though.
Am I wrong here, or is Talking about what they plan on doing to get Fox, Tampering with another Teams Player under Contract ??
The Spurs wouldn’t say they’re targeting Fox outright but there’s is and always has been back channels to get deals done.
When will teams ever learn, that Mike Brown just isn’t it.
Then who is ?? Who would you hire to take over and lead this Team to a Championship ?? It’s easy to say He isn’t it, but I seriously doubt there is anyone on the Kings Payroll who is and I doubt anyone that is, is NOT available !! Brown or any other Coach can NOT make the players make threes, or Rebound or Play Defense, unless they themselves want to do more, and obviously they don’t !! Maybe it’s time to move on from Murray. His stats are down in every category !! Package him, Huerter and some picks and get someone who will help us now, NOT at the Trade Deadline 2 months from now, but NOW !! Before it’s too late !!
It’s a Guarantee they are NOT going to get any Players that will help Sabonis, Fox get to that next lvl. Fox will walk, then Sabonis will demand a Trade. It will be a Snowball affect, and we will AGAIN for the umpteenth time start a rebuild, w/o ever going deep in the Playoffs or getting a Championship. Lottery Bound AGAIN, that won’t pan out, like always !! I hear there is the Player that wasn’t any good here, so they traded him away. Yep, I’m sure of it, his Name was Haliburton. Bet we had him back and that Fox would have been the one Traded !!
Management Inactions; Bad Trades; Bad Drafting
Well they should be. As should Rockets.
Rumors ………. I’d say we should all wait till he’s actually a FA.