The Sacramento Kings surprisingly fired head coach Mike Brown in late December after a 13-18 start, which surprised many. Just days before that, Brown ripped De'Aaron Fox for a costly mistake against the Detroit Pistons.

While there was a belief that the team canned Brown in order to try and keep their star guard, it didn't work. Fox requested a trade last week and got his wish on Sunday, with the Kings sending him to the San Antonio Spurs in a three-way deal that brought Zach LaVine to town from the Chicago Bulls.

It does appear that Fox was growing frustrated with Sacramento and the way they handled the Brown situation further cemented his desire to be moved.

Via The Athletic:

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“The sloppy timing and lack of organizational accountability only grew frustration within Fox that had been building about the instability and general stagnation in Sacramento, league sources confirmed. He’d made it clear in both his refusal to sign an extension this past summer and his transparent public comments to The Athletic and others about his desire to be on a perennial contender that his eyes were wandering.”

The Kings have taken a major step back this season, even with Fox playing at an All-Star level. It became crystal clear that he had no intentions of signing a new deal. Sacramento was smart to trade him now before his value lowered this summer. It wasn't a terrible deal for the Kings either as LaVine is a solid player who has shown All-Star potential at times.

As for Fox, he gets form a dynamic duo with Victor Wembanyama and also joins veteran Chris Paul in the Spurs' backcourt. While San Antonio is on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff picture right now, that could change once Fox gets accustomed to his new surroundings.

Could the Kings have dealt with the Brown situation differently? Absolutely. But, it does feel like either way, Fox truly wanted out.