More than half the teams in the NBA have inquired on De’Aaron Fox since the Kings made him available for trade on Tuesday, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Talks with San Antonio, Fox’s reported preferred destination, are going to be particularly interesting, Amick writes, with the Spurs potentially in position to push negotiations into the offseason in an effort to further evaluate their options without losing out on Fox to another team.
One potential sticking point in negotiations between the two teams could be the inclusion of 2024 lottery pick Stephon Castle. Amick writes that there is skepticism in league circles that the Spurs would include their rookie who has shown real potential.
Additionally, from the Spurs’ perspective, it may make more sense to wait until the offseason to make a move for Fox because Chris Paul is continuing to help elevate their franchise at 39 years old.
While Fox is likely to sign an extension with the Spurs if he’s traded there, other inquiring teams are likely viewing him as a rental (he’s under contract through the 2025/26 season), and the quality of their offers figures to reflect that.
The general mood of the locker room in Sacramento could impact the Kings’ timing in moving Fox, as Amick says multiple players expressed frustration that this situation is poorly timed since it coincides with Sacramento playing well under interim coach Doug Christie.
One player the Kings are not interested in acquiring as part of any Fox deal is the Heat‘s Jimmy Butler. The Kings “do not see Butler as the answer,” according to Amick. As has been well-reported, the Heat are trying to trade Butler ahead of the 2025 deadline and the Kings’ star point guard would be a logical target for Miami, given his Kentucky connection with Bam Adebayo.
Fox hasn’t requested a trade from the Kings, but his unwillingness to commit long-term led the Kings to approach his representation and put him on the block. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Fox and his camp would have preferred to reach this point this summer when teams are more flush with draft capital and room to make offers.
The Nets are described by Fischer as a team who can be ruled out for an in-season acquisition of Fox but could make a run for the one-time All-Star in the summer.
Regardless of whether Fox becomes eligible for a super-max this season by making an All-NBA team, he has no intention of signing an extension with the Kings, Fischer writes. While Fischer suggests that the haul for Fox wouldn’t be the same as what the Cavaliers had to give up for Donovan Mitchell, as an example, it might not make sense for the Spurs to surrender multiple valuable assets for a player who is interested in signing with them in 2026 either way.
Pairing up with Wembanyama is still Fox’s ultimate goal, fueled by representation by Klutch Sports’ Rich Paul. According to Fischer, that destination was also in mind when Darius Garland‘s future in Cleveland was called into question last offseason. The Spurs have also envisioned potentially targeting Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball or Chicago’s Josh Giddey to pair with their franchise center, Fischer adds.
Here are some other recent tidbits about Fox:
- The Lakers aren’t a potential Fox destination because Klutch knows Los Angeles wouldn’t give up Austin Reaves in any deal with Sacramento, Fischer writes.
- As has been reported, the Rockets are looking to play out the rest of the season with their young core that has them in No. 2 in the Western Conference. However, that’s not the only reason they’re not currently exploring a trade for Fox. According to Fischer, the Rockets are skeptical of Fox’s fit with the team, even though the timeline makes sense.
- A potential Fox trade could cause veteran DeMar DeRozan to reevaluate his future in Sacramento, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes. “Yeah, it’s tough because looking at the landscape, before I came here, those are the guys I talked to was Fox, [Domantas Sabonis] and Malik [Monk],” DeRozan said. “Those are the core guys that made it easy for me to make my decision to play here, and a key player, a key juggernaut in Fox, not knowing the future of that, it does make it tough.“
Rich Paul gets mentioned more that Scott Boras on the MLB site.
The NBA needs to put a stop to all of the blatant player tampering that is going on. DeAaron Fox and Jimmy Butler can confidently request a trade because their agent has already worked out all of the details with the other team right down to knowing how much they are willing to pay $$$ and how many years. No need to wait until free agency. Why even have a free agency period when your agent can line up deals whenever he wants?? A limited number of teams have salary cap space. So, you find a team with cap space willing to pay, and then force a trade to that team. Fox is doing it with San Antonio, and Butler is doing it with Phoenix. It’s trash!
I mean if they want to feel out the FA market a bit I dont mind, but this blatant steering them to a destination to try and depress the market is getting a bit aggressive. I think its fine if you inform a team you dont intend to resign, but from there they shouldnt be allowed to negotiate behind the scenes with other teams and so blatantly tamper with trade offers. I think POR did it right with Dame.
Fox didn’t request a trade
I thought maybe I was jaded as a UConn fan but this helps affirm it. Castle needs to improve his shooting %’s but he is a stud. Elite perimeter defense, much much much cheaper. How much better are the spurs with fox instead of castle? Never mind the draft capital that Sac would want in addition>
As a Spurs fan I wouldn’t want to lose castle. He is number 2 untouchable after Vic to me.
DeAaron Fox is a career 33% three-point shooter. Why would you want to give up any assets, and then dish out a maximum contract for that????
He is a tougher cover than Castle for sure even if his 3pt shooting isnt his best asset.
When you play with a guy like Wemby. Your job isn’t to be a “tough cover”. The job is to make 3-point shots. Mid-range shots no longer matter. The job is to be available for Wemby to have multiple options to kick the ball out to behind the arc. Wemby will be passing out of double and triple teams. Fox is a 33% career 3 point shooter.
Wemby is super turnover prone and the last thing you want is to have him as the main ball handler distributer. You would much rather have Wemby as mostly just a play finisher except in transition.
I understand your point of view. The spurs as a team are shooting 34 percent from 3. So I don’t think that factors either way. Victor shoot half of his shots from three point line. Its who he is and it will probably always be a big part of his offensive game. It will help his body hold up over time. Cp3 is solid but teams have been attacking him on defense. Fox is actually a pretty good defender. He will be a major upgrade in that. I think Vic needs a high level pick n roll partner over a bunch of shooters around him. He also needs shooter too. Also the spurs will need to consolidate these picks a a couple times because they are starting to have a full rotation. For me personally I think it depends who they give up. It would need to be heavy with picks and keeping vic, sochan, vassell and castle or just keep being patient. They still would have a path to add another huge contract while these guys are mostly on rookie deals. Sorry for the long winded answer. Thats my perspective.
The history of guys becoming dramatically better shooters is not great especially guard types. Some bigs were bad shooters but had far fewer reps so they were able to get the reps to become the better shooter they could be, but a dude like Castle has lots of reps and is still not good. He might be able to help it working with a good shooting coach.
Another name I can factually guarantee the kings aren’t interested in taking is Bradley Beal !
They will mind their own business and stay completely out of the suns and heat talks for jimmy butler
I wish the Suns would face the facts and realize they are actually better off building around Beal and KD, and instead trade/reup/reconfigure the roster with whoever they can get for Booker, who at least has a massive amount of trade value.
No team Beal would join wants him. I doubt he oks a trade to SAC much less them want him. He also already makes the maximum he is allowed so you cant even incentivize him to allow a trade unless maybe you chose to add another year and more money. I dont think hes extension eligible till the offseason.
Like he has a 15% trade kicker that wont even add money till the cap goes up next year. There is literally nothing the team can offer him to try and get him to drop the no trade besides everyone on the team just being a d*** to him until he wants to go anywhere else…
San Antonio would be foolish to let Castle go. I know he’s still a rookie but he’s a glue guy who’ll facilitate the Wembanyama era perfectly. No discredit to Fox but they hold all the cards moving forward.
Why trade Castle for a player in DeAaron Fox, who you already know is trying to sign with you in the offseason????? Baffling why San Antonio would have any interest in attaching themselves to DeAaron Fox for the next 5 years. I see why Fox wants it. Rings. He’s from Houston. Texas doesn’t have a state income tax.
He isnt a FA till next offseason so your trading for him for next year and this when he is making his rookie max still and him and Wemby cost what 1 max player should for both. If you want to sign him you have to wait a year and potentially clear some salary since they may not let every pending FA walk and not sign anyone this year for more than 1 season.
He has a Player Option that he has informed San Antonio that he will NOT be exercising. That makes him a free agent in 2025. Same thing with Jimmy Butler. He told Miami he is not going to exercise his 2025 Player Option.
No he doesnt. He is under contract next season for 37M and has no option. He will be a FA in the summer of 26 and not before. He has informed the Kings he wont be extending when he would be eligible this offseason.
I want to trade Fox for Garland
Monte McNair is a really good gm, he wont make a stupid trade
If they sit and wait til 26… only 74M committed to 5 players, they could go after Fox as a FA. Luka could also be available if he doesn’t extend.
I think that is why the Kings want to / are considering trading him – unlike 25 free agency where no one except Brooklyn has cap space . A lot of teams are geared up for that offseason – Both San Antonio and Miami will have max cap space Nets could as well if they roll their space for another year. There are a lot of good names that could be free agents in 2026 but if he insists on leaving the Kings have much less leverage in a trade.
Why would team not just wait – the theory would be based on the fact that another team could trade for him and he could like it at that new team and since the new team can pay him the most he might never make the market. Even with that said I can’t see anyone giving up a massive package 2-3 picks max and salary filler. There is a reason PG is the only max free agent to move in a long time.
Because then your punting on next season to keep space for the next offseason. Your best chance to win is when your young superstar is on years 3-4 of their rookie deal. Like from then on he costs real superstar money.
OKC right now has this situation where Shae is still on the fun max, and JWill/Chet still havent been paid. They have one more cheap year and then triple maxs with Shaes being the super max.
Latest non-news update, thanks for the ad income.
Fox becoming a UFA after next season is a theorhetical possibility. But not much more than that. It was 6 years (and more importantly two CBA’s ago) since a max free agent (offered an early max deal) played out his contract, and became a free agent.
Best case, it will cost the player between 80-100 mm up front; that’s before even getting to foregoing the security of having that next deal in advance, and needing to rely on teams to open up the needed cap space on the back end. I hope it happens. The league desperately needs some form of market place where stars can rationally change uniforms. But the league disagrees with me. So it most likely will not happen.
Been reading about Fox and rumors. And seems he wants to chk out FA. I guess then trading him where he wants to go. Means he’ll resign there. Therefore get more assets from that team.
Spurs is a good place. But I don’t give up Castle.
Who can trade for him and sign him …. ??
Rockets is a good place. He’s from there Went to HS outside Houston. Not giving up my top 4.
Reed Shepard, Cam Whitmore, Adams, and picks
Texas is best place imo….
Magic —. I wouldn’t do it. I build what I got.
Miami would be interesting. Don’t see how they do it. Unless Jimmy is involved. This would be major for Heat …..
Can LA do it …..?? Why would Sac do it !!
Warriors no cause Curry there ….
Who else is out there. That can pull it off.
Lakers think Reaves is Larry Legend. Fox make them so much better.
But not that much better cap wise.
Who cares, not your money. Lakers want a better chance of winning Reaves can go.
Cavs paid dearly for Mitchell but nobody in Cleveland is complaining about it.
Including Castle is laughable. In two years he’ll be better than Fox – no chance Spurs consider that. Keldon Johnson and multiple draft picks
Plus Wemby needs a PG that’s better than 33% from 3….