The Sacramento Kings continue to lose, and that means that the vultures for De’Aaron Fox may be multiplying.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported on “The Hoop Collective” podcast this week that the Houston Rockets are a team to watch regarding a potential trade for the Kings star Fox. MacMahon also notes that there have been talks about the Miami Heat getting involved (Fox was college teammates with Heat star Bam Adebayo) as well as the Los Angeles Lakers doing so (Fox is a Klutch Sports client).
Additionally, MacMahon mentions the San Antonio Spurs as another team to watch for Fox, which had already been reported prior.
The 27-year-old Fox is a rare homegrown Kings All-Star and is also their longest-tenured player. But the trade buzz has steadily increased in recent weeks, especially with Sacramento now sitting at a disappointing 13-18 (No. 12 in the West). Fox’s agent, Rich Paul, also reportedly met with Kings management recently to discuss the direction of the team.
Averaging 26.2 points and 6.1 assists per game this season, Fox is under contract for $34.8 million this year and $37.1 million next year. That means it would be far easier for an asset-rich, non-luxury-tax team like the Spurs or Rockets to make a play for him rather than a high-payroll team such as the Heat or Lakers. In any case though, an interested team would also have to navigate around Fox’s trickier longer-term financial situation.
H/T NBA Reddit