NBA trade deadline season may be about to get pretty fun.
Matt Moore of Action Network reports Tuesday that rival executives are monitoring De’Aaron Fox’s situation with the Sacramento Kings. Moore adds that Fox turned down a $165 million extension from the Kings last month and notes that Fox is represented by Klutch Sports, an agency that has a known penchant for drama.
The 26-year-old Fox was Sacramento’s No. 5 overall pick in 2017 and has all the makings of a Kings lifer. A 2023 All-Star and All-NBA selection, Fox has remained loyal to the Kings through all their ups and downs and led them on a Cinderella season in 2022-23. That year, Sacramento won 48 games, made the playoff for the first time in 16 years, and won their first division title in two decades.
But the Kings have flopped since then, missing the playoffs last season and now sitting at 9-12 this season (12th in the West). It is worth noting though that Fox’s decision to turn down an extension from Sacramento may have just been about making the right financial decision for himself. Moore also adds that the Fox trade speculation could end quickly if he puts himself in position to make another All-NBA team this season. That would make Fox eligible to sign a supermax extension with the Kings, which is one of the biggest tools for small-market teams to retain their homegrown stars.
With Fox averaging a career-high 27.5 points this year to go along with 5.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game, an All-NBA bid is certainly not out of the question. But opposing NBA teams will be hoping that the Kings continue to struggle this season, perhaps even to the point that they consider moving Fox before the trade deadline in two months.
