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De'Aaron Fox officially debuted for the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, posting 24 points and 13 assists to help his new team squeak out a win versus the Atlanta Hawks. He is now in the place that was reported to be his preferred destination when the Sacramento Kings opened up trade talks last week. Moving on is difficult, though. The wounds are fresh in The City of Trees.
Kings fans are still trying to gain clarity of the whole Fox situation. Did the organization willingly decide to part ways rather than attempt to resume contract extension talks, or did the 27-year-old point guard make it clear he had no intention of staying in Sacramento long-term?
General manager Monte McNair says “there was no pathway” to a new deal, leaving the team with no other choice but to maximize return value. A local ESPN radio host also suggested that Fox facilitated his own exit, which is not necessarily how it was initially portrayed.
The 2023 All-NBA Third-Team selection and Clutch Player of the Year admitted to texting Spurs rookie Stephon Castle when trade rumors were heating up but before a move was actually made. Naturally, this revelation prompted big reactions.
De'Aaron Fox claps back at an ESPN radio personality
Damien Barling of “D-Lo & KC” posted a three-emoji message on X, formerly Twitter that featured a fox in between what appear to be blades of grass. Many deduced that Barlow was calling De'Aaron Fox a “snake in the grass” for how he handled his Sacramento departure. Fox roared back with a strongly-worded post.
“This is actually funny cause y’all really don’t know s**t,” he said, via Logan Struck of Sacramento Kings on SI. A brief back-and-forth followed, and Fox then defended his reputation by taking aim at his former employer. “Everybody has the same story about the dysfunction but yeah it’s my fault,” he posted. This statement and the exchange with Barlow were deleted.
Fox placing blame on the Kings will elicit mixed reactions. Many fans share his sentiment and will therefore sympathize with his position. Others will accuse the former No. 5 draft pick of forcing his way out and playing martyr afterwards. The details are likely to remain murky, resulting in continued speculation and dissatisfaction. Apparently, though, Fox and Barling were able to reach a mutual understanding.
“Had a productive conversation with {De'Aaron Fox},” Barling posted on Thursday night. “He gave me permission to share some of it on the show including the context of the {Stephon} Castle video and what he told the front office this past offseason. Context is everything. On Twitter & in real life. Appreciate you, 5.” Fox reinforced the good vibes with a handshake emoji.
While it is nice to see two people resolve a dispute through communication, the chatter surrounding the Fox saga will persist. Kings fans will hold both the player and franchise accountable for getting to this point. Watching one of the men most responsible for the 2022-23 resurgence wear another uniform is never going to be easy.