De’Aaron Fox Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kings Notes: Robinson, Fox, Schedule, Walton

February 24th, 2021 at 7:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Glenn Robinson III, who was waived today before the league-wide contract guarantee kicked in, agreed not to pursue any remaining salary that he might have collected because of a knee injury, sources tell Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.

The Collective Bargaining Agreement allows players who are injured to earn their full base compensation until they’re healthy enough to play again. Robinson missed Saturday’s game due to right knee soreness, but his absence on Sunday and Tuesday was attributed to personal reasons.

“I’ve been told that it’s personal matters, and when it comes to personal matters I don’t really pry,” Kings coach Luke Walton said earlier this week. “I’m very big on us being close and open, but I also respect everybody and what people are going through. … My understanding is it’s been personal reasons and that’s why he’s not with our team.”

The Kings gave Robinson a one-year, minimum-salary contract with a small partial guarantee in free agency, hoping he would be an effective backup to small forward Harrison Barnes. He averaged 5.3 points and 2.0 rebounds in 23 games, but Anderson said the team may want to create more playing time for DaQuan Jeffries, who has been impressive since returning from an ankle injury.

There’s more from Sacramento:

De’Aaron Fox turned to his fiancée to help him improve his shot after the Kings failed to make the playoffs during the restart, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Recee Caldwell, a former WNBA player and the daughter of former Texas Tech assistant coach Ray Caldwell, introduced Fox to shooting drills she learned from her father. “My dad made sure that I was able to shoot it from legitimately anywhere on the floor,” she said. “So the fact that I could mix in what I was raised on, with De’Aaron’s speed and natural talent, I was like, ‘Wow, we can really make a monster.'”
After facing the league’s most difficult schedule during the first half of the season, the Kings will get a break in the second half, according to James Ham of NBC Sports. Sacramento projects to have the seventh-easiest schedule once play resumes March 10, which provides hope for a team that is slipping out of the playoff race after dropping eight straight games.
After the Timberwolves replaced Ryan Saunders this week, Walton is the co-favorite to be the next coach to lose his job, according to Sportsbook.AG (hat tip to Jas King of Sactown Royalty). Walton has two more years remaining on his contract after this season, but he was hired by former general manager Vlade Divac.

De’Aaron Fox On 2021 All-Star Game: “I Think It’s Stupid”

February 4th, 2021 at 2:03pm CST by JD Shaw

Kings guard De’Aaron Fox is opposed to the NBA holding an All-Star Game this season, giving an honest assessment of the situation after Sacramento defeated Boston 116-111 on Wednesday night.

“If I’m going to be brutally honest, I think it’s stupid,” Fox said, as relayed by Sean Cunningham of ABC 10. “If we have to wear masks and do all of this for a regular game, what’s the point in bringing the All-Star Game back? Obviously, money makes the world go round, so it is what it is. I’m not really worried about it. If I’m voted (in), so be it.”

The pandemic has forced the NBA to postpone 23 games so far this season, as shown in our 2020/21 Game Postponement Tracker. The league announced 16 positive tests on January 13, 11 positive tests on January 20, one positive test the following week, and zero positive tests on Wednesday.

Fox, 23, is averaging a career-high 22.3 points, 6.6 assists and 32.6 minutes per game this season, making him a candidate to become a first-time All-Star. When asked whether he’d play in the game, Fox made it clear there wouldn’t be much of a choice.

“If you’re supposed to be in it, you’re not hurt and you decide not to play, that’s a hefty fine,” Fox said while laughing. “So hell yeah I would play in it.”

The All-Star Game is set to be held in Atlanta on Sunday, March 7, with additional details forthcoming. There has been some chatter that the league won’t make participation mandatory for the players chosen as All-Stars this time around.

Pacific Notes: Caruso, J. Parker, Kawhi, Warriors, Fox

January 7th, 2021 at 12:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers guard Alex Caruso hasn’t played since December 27, having been held out of action due to the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols, but it sounds like he’ll make his return on Thursday night vs. San Antonio. Caruso – who resumed workouts earlier this week, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link) – is no longer listed on the Lakers’ injury report.

Meanwhile, Kings forward Jabari Parker has yet to make his season debut, having been sidelined with back soreness and then having missed time for personal reasons. Parker is back with Sacramento now, but will have to go through the health and safety protocols before he receives clearance to play, head coach Luke Walton said on Wednesday (Twitter link via James Ham of NBC Sports California).

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Kawhi Leonard was active on both Tuesday and Wednesday this week, marking the first time the Clippers star has played in both games of a back-to-back set since April 2017. As Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes, Leonard says he’s ready for that to become a trend. “I mean, I think I’ll be playing, pretty much,” he said after Wednesday’s game. “The last few years, I was injured, and I worked on getting my leg stronger, and it’s been a long time. But I was patient, and I’m able to play.”
In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Kevin Arnovitz explores how the Warriors are dealing with a transition period, looking to remain competitive while they wait for Klay Thompson to get healthy and James Wiseman to continue to blossom. “Without Klay, we’re at intermission,” president of basketball operations Bob Myers said of the team’s current state.
Appearing on Matt Barnes’ and Stephen Jackson’s All That Smoke podcast, Kings guard De’Aaron Fox said he spoke to his father and the rest of his family after Aaron Fox tweeted, “Trade him,” in apparent reference to Marvin Bagley III. “I’m like, ‘Yo, y’all can’t do this s–t,'” Fox said, per James Ham of NBC Sports California. “‘Because regardless of anything y’all say, motherf—–s aren’t going to ask y’all, they’re gonna ask me about it.'”

Kings Sign De’Aaron Fox To Five-Year Max Extension

November 20th, 2020 at 6:55pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 25: The Kings have officially locked up Fox to his new five-year extension, per the NBA’s transactions log. He’ll earn just over $8MM in 2020/21 before his new deal begins in ’21/22.

NOVEMBER 20: The Kings and De’Aaron Fox have agreed to a five-year, maximum-salary contract extension, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). The new deal will go into effect starting in 2021/22, with Fox playing out the final year of his rookie contract in ’20/21.

According to Charania, the deal will start at 25% of the cap unless Fox meets certain Rose Rule criteria, in which case it could be worth up to 30% of the cap. ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link) reports that the Rose Rule terms in Fox’s new deal call for a starting salary of 26% of the cap if he makes the All-NBA Third Team, 28% for All-NBA Second Team, and 30% for All-NBA First team.

The exact value of Fox’s new contract will depend on where the 2021/22 cap lands. If it increases by 3% over this year’s figure, which is currently the expectation, Fox would earn $163MM over five years on the standard max, or up to $195.6MM if he meets his Rose Rule criteria.

For the Kings, it’s a massive investment in their cornerstone player, who averaged a career-best 21.1 PPG to go along with 6.8 APG, 3.8 RPG, and 1.5 SPG in 51 games (32.0 MPG) last season. While it will be interesting to see how lottery pick Tyrese Haliburton fits alongside Fox, Sacramento is making it clear with this move that the Haliburton pick has no impact at all on Fox’s long-term future with the franchise.

The Kings will now have three players earning more than $20MM annually beginning in 2021/22, though Harrison Barnes‘ and Buddy Hield‘s futures in Sacramento are far less certain than Fox’s.

Fox is one of a handful of players eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason who is expected to receive the max. Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell are also in line for maximum-salary deals.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pacific Notes: LeBron, Fox, Warriors, Williams

August 23rd, 2020 at 5:46pm CST by JD Shaw

Lakers superstar LeBron James is beginning to find his groove in the playoffs, with Game 3 serving as proof of such, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com writes.

James played noticeably aggressively in the team’s first-round series against Portland on Saturday, recording 38 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in 34 minutes of work. It’s the type of play the Lakers need to defeat a fearless Blazers team, especially with a star backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum tiring out the likes of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Danny Green each game.

“I just think my offensive pace tonight,” James said postgame. “At times I was fast, slow, medium-paced. It was like a stick shift. Sometimes I was in gear 1, sometimes I was in gear 6. Being able to read and react, depending on whether I had the cruise on or was in a residential area or the highway or I was on the straightaway. Being able to have a car that can go in different speeds and zones, depending on what the traffic is, is very key.”

James was joined in the win by fellow All-Star Anthony Davis, who finished with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists. The two stars each shot 11-of-18 from the field and took a combined 31 attempts from the free throw line, demonstrating their aggressive mindset and play.

“I told Bron at half, I have to take some of the pressure off of him,” Davis said. “I missed a ton of free throws [five of nine first-half attempts]. I didn’t want him to have to carry the team the whole time, where he didn’t have to try to come down and score every time.

“He was in attack mode. We need him like that all the time. When he’s attacking, it’s our job to make shots.”

Here are some other notes out of the Pacific Division:

Kings guard De’Aaron Fox showed flashes of a potential superstar during his third season in the league, Kyle Ramos of NBA.com writes. Fox, 22, averaged a career-high 21.1 points, 6.8 assists and 1.5 steals per contest this year, also shooting a career-best 48% from the floor in 51 games. His averages increased to an impressive 25.3 points and 7.3 assists during the Orlando games.
Anthony Slater of The Athletic examines the Warriors’ options in the 2020 NBA draft, with the team being awarded the No. 2 overall pick last week. The current front-runner to be drafted by Golden State appears to be 7’1″ center James Wiseman, though no decisions have been finalized yet — and that’s if the team decides to even keep the pick. “I know there’s a lot of narrative around us trading our pick and what we’re going to do with it, but we don’t really know anything,” general manager Bob Myers said. “At this point, we found out half an hour ago we had the No. 2 pick, so that’s the first step as far as getting some clarity.”
Suns coach Monty Williams spoke with Greg Moore of The Arizona Republic on a number of topics, including how he guided his team to an 8-0 record in Orlando and how he handled the social justice movement. “We did have organic, spontaneous conversations even before we went to Orlando — maybe three Zoom chats, where we had really good conversations that weren’t just about basketball,” Williams said of his team. “Then when we got to Orlando, we just dialed in to what we say every day, ‘Family on three.’”

Pacific Notes: Rubio, A. Davis, Waiters, Fox

July 25th, 2020 at 4:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns plan to have starting point guard Ricky Rubio active for their second scrimmage Sunday night, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Rubio sat out Thursday’s opener after a positive COVID-19 test delayed his arrival to the Walt Disney World campus.

“He should play,” coach Monty Williams said of Rubio. “He had a good practice (today). It was probably smart to hold him out. We don’t want guys playing when they’re not comfortable, we’re not comfortable. We’ve been going unbelievably hard in our practice. I’m looking forward to seeing him on the floor.”

Phoenix has been short-handed since teams began reporting to Orlando earlier this month. Center Aron Baynes also tested positive for the coronavirus, while Elie Okobo and Jalen Lecque are listed out for “personal reasons.” The Suns expect all those players to eventually join the team.

“You always want your full team out here,” said rookie Ty Jerome, who made his first start at point guard in Thursday’s scrimmage. “All the uncertainty that’s going on right now, the fact that we’re one of the healthier and more full teams out here, it gives us a chance. Gives us a fighting chance.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Anthony Davis is considered day-to-day after being poked in the right eye during today’s scrimmage, Lakers coach Frank Vogel tells Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). L.A. has one more scrimmage Monday before starting its seeding games Thursday against the Clippers.
Lakers guard Dion Waiters discussed the difference between playing alongside LeBron James now compared to when they were teammates in Cleveland six years ago, McMenamin tweets. “When you’re young, you’re still trying to find yourself coming into the league,” Waiters said. “I think Bron was trying to help me with that, but I was so stubborn back then. But I understand now. I’m 28. I’ve been through a lot. I’m at peace with myself, though.”
Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox declared himself to be completely recovered from an ankle sprain he suffered last week (video link).
Clippers center Ivica Zubac reported to Orlando Friday night and is being quarantined for two days, tweets Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

Western Notes: Burke, Spurs, Fox, Barnes

July 24th, 2020 at 6:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mavericks guard Trey Burke worked out at the Orlando campus for the first time on Friday, Tim McMahon of ESPN tweets. He wasn’t a full go but did some conditioning work and ran through sets, coach Rick Carlisle told MacMahon. Burke was signed as a substitute player but didn’t arrive at the campus until Wednesday.

We have more from the Western Conference:

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is rotating his assistants to run the team during scrimmages against other clubs, Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press tweets. Becky Hammon was the head coach for their Thursday scrimmage, Mitch Johnson will run the show on Saturday and Will Hardy will guide the team on Tuesday.
Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox had no restrictions during Friday’s practice, James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. Fox sprained his ankle after the team arrived from Sacramento. He took part in non-contact drills earlier this week.
Kings forward Harrison Barnes passed his COVID-19 tests in Sacramento and headed to Orlando on Friday, Ham reports. “He’ll have to start his two-day quarantine once he gets here and pass that protocol before he can join us on the court,” coach Luke Walton told Ham and other media members. Barnes tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this month but Sacramento held his roster spot in anticipation he would recover in time.

Western Notes: G. Harris, Craig, Kings, Mitchell

July 21st, 2020 at 8:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The official Nuggets summer roster, announced on Monday by the NBA, features 17 names, the maximum allowed by the league. However, a number of those players didn’t arrive at the Orlando campus with the rest of the team earlier this month and have been slowly trickling in.

Two key players traveled to the campus on Sunday, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN details, with Gary Harris and Torrey Craig reporting for their quarantine period. Mike Singer of The Denver Post provided an update on Harris and Craig today, tweeting that they’ve now cleared their quarantine period. The two Nuggets didn’t practice today because they also must complete cardiac testing before being fully cleared.

With Harris and Craig nearly ready to start practicing, the Nuggets are a little closer to being whole, but that won’t happen in time for the team’s first inter-squad scrimmage on Wednesday. Earlier this week, head coach Mike Malone said that he expects to have only nine players available for that exhibition game (Twitter link via Chris Dempsey of Altitude Sports). Fans who tune in can expect to see some unusual lineups for Denver, including the possibility of Bol Bol at small forward.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

De’Aaron Fox, who is recovering from an ankle sprain, returned to practice for the Kings today and took part in non-contact drills, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Richaun Holmes also participated in his first practice since clearing his extended quarantine.
In addition to improving as a player, Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell also wants to improve as a teammate, writes Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. As Walden relays, head coach Quin Snyder has been impressed by Mitchell’s development in both areas. “That maturation process has been going on,” Snyder said. “And some of it you guys don’t see as much. Some of it we see on the floor, some of it we see in the locker room, some of it we see during video (review). … There’s an awareness and a care factor there that has manifested itself in even more leadership.”
John Hollinger of The Athletic questions whether the Warriors really need to prioritize acquiring a center this offseason and explores how the Timberwolves might address their shooting guard and forward spots.

Kings Notes: Fox, Len, Barnes

July 16th, 2020 at 6:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Kings head coach Luke Walton referred to De’Aaron Fox‘s ankle sprain as “mild to moderate,” as James Ham of NBC Sports California writes. While Walton insisted that the team will be “cautious” with its star point guard, he also expressed optimism that Fox won’t necessarily require a lengthy absence.

“We’re hopeful that because he’s healed fast in the past, he’ll do it again, but it’s something that we’re definitely not going to rush him back,” Walton said.

Fox suffered a more serious (Grade 3) ankle sprain earlier in the 2019/20 season and was able to return ahead of schedule, missing just five weeks, Ham notes. A similar injury this time around would have put his summer availability in jeopardy, but it sounds as if the club thinks Fox should be available for some – if not all – of Sacramento’s eight seeding games, as Mark Medina of USA Today tweets.

Here’s more on the Kings:

In the wake of Fox’s ankle sprain, Sean Deveney of Forbes took a look at the point guard’s longer-term future in Sacramento, suggesting that the former No. 5 overall pick has a very good chance to become the highest-paid player in team history. “No doubt you are going to pay Fox,” one general manager told Deveney. “Who else are you going to get to come to Sacramento? You have to pay him, overpay him, because it’ll be tough to bring in free agents. If you can sign him, no matter the cost, if you’re the Kings, you do it. I think he gets a max offer from them and he takes it. Simple.”
Kings center Alex Len, having been medically cleared after contracting COVID-19 last month, is flying to Orlando on Thursday night and will enter quarantine upon arriving at the Walt Disney World campus, Walton told reporters today (Twitter link via Sean Cunningham of ABC10).
Once Len arrives, three of the four Kings known to have tested positive for the coronavirus will be at Disney, with Buddy Hield and Jabari Parker already there. However, there’s no update yet on Harrison Barnes, who announced his positive test earlier this week and remains quarantined in Sacramento, per James Ham of NBC Sports California.

De’Aaron Fox Sprains Ankle, Will Be Reevaluated In 7-10 Days

July 15th, 2020 at 6:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox has suffered a left ankle sprain, the team announced today in a press release. The injury, which Fox sustained during Wednesday’s practice, will be reevaluated in approximately seven-to-10 days, according to the club.

It’s an unfortunate turn of events for Fox and the Kings, who will want their point guard at full strength during their eight seeding games this summer if they hope to make a serious push for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

If it’s a mild sprain, perhaps Fox will be close to returning when he’s evaluated next week. However, a more significant sprain would likely force him out of action for at least some of those seeding games. Given the abridged ramp-up period leading up to the restart, the Kings will want to be cautious with one of their cornerstone players, making sure not to rush him back.

Sacramento’s summer schedule gets underway on July 31 when the team faces the Spurs.