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De'Aaron Fox scored a game-high 30 points in Monday's 110-96 win over the Brooklyn Nets, helping the Sacramento Kings improve to 11-4 under interim head coach Doug Christie. Apparently, though, winning is not a solution to all problems. The organization is open to engaging in trade conversations for the franchise pillar, sending the league into a frenzy just nine days before the Feb. 6 deadline.
Contract extension talks have stalled, forcing management to make a huge and difficult decision. If the Kings are confident that a deal will not be reached before Fox enters free agency after next season, they might feel inclined to maximize his return value now. But fans are probably not too sympathetic for management at this time. The city languished for two decades before Fox and Domantas Sabonis led the team back into the playoffs in 2022-23.
There is a reason to believe that Sacramento has plateaued under its current core, even after the January surge, but owner Vivek Ranadive has not inspired much confidence during his 10-plus-year run as team owner. Although the Kings have a long way to go before attaining contender status, it is obviously risky to deal away an impactful point guard who is only 27 years old.
However, few people know the exact state of the relationship between Fox and Sacramento. The idea that the 2023 All-Star could want to play for another squad would not surprise many fans. The Beam Team has known that a split is possible, but this is not when such a scenario was supposed to gain serious momentum. Not after the Christie-led revival.
But we will not dive deeper into the Kings' future today. Instead, it is time to shift focus to potential De'Aaron Fox trade destinations. While several teams will express interest, three especially stand out.
1. Spurs can move their rebuild along in a hurry
There is only one place to start in these rankings. Fox and agent Rich Paul have a landing spot in mind, and it is reportedly the San Antonio Spurs (20-23). Though, even if the wind was not pointing toward The Alamo, I would have this franchise in the No. 1 slot. It just fits.
Fox wants what most stars want– to get paid and play in meaningful basketball games. The Kings are presently ahead of the Spurs in the NBA hierarchy, but the latter arguably has the higher ceiling. And Victor Wembanyama is a huge reason why. Pairing Fox with the 7-foot-3 French center greatly accelerates the Spurs' competitive timetable and has the power to unlock the young group's promise.
The Spurs would then boast two game-changers– one backcourt dynamo and one frontcourt phenom– along with valuable scorer Devin Vassell, the vastly improving Jeremy Sochan and defensive-minded rookie Stephon Castle. One of those guys could be shipped out of The Lone Star State in order to complete a Fox move (have a plethora of first-round draft picks and maybe Keldon Johnson to offer), but the roster would still look quite imposing.
And if the Spurs acquire the former Clutch Player of the Year before the 2025 trade deadline passes, he will have the privilege to bounce ideas off future Hall of Famer Chris Paul. De'Aaron Fox will not address the team's 3-point shooting limitations (33.3 percent for his career), but he will provide an instant and pronounced upgrade in other crucial areas, namely in win-loss record.
There are other franchises that suit No. 5 exceptionally well this season and for the next several years, however.
2. The Magic would be scary with De'Aaron Fox
Initially a candidate to disrupt the Eastern Conference power scale, the Orlando Magic (24-24) are starting to stagger under the pressure of colossal injury troubles. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are back now, and Jalen Suggs hopefully avoided a major setback in his Jan. 25 return game, but shaking off all the rust and fully reintegrating the core into the action is sure to present challenges.
Fox can cinch the offense together while the aforementioned homegrown trio works toward reaching their top respective forms. He is obviously not just a stopgap option, though. The 2022-23 All-NBA Third-Team selection should definitively vault the Magic into the East's upper echelon and enable them to legitimately challenge the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks in the near future.
Head coach Jamahl Mosley is doing an effective job at molding Orlando into an aggressive and tenacious squad, but there will likely come a time when fans say “the Magic need something to bring them to the next level.” Enter Fox. With his 25.2 points, 6.2 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game this season, the No. 5 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft is the additional fuel source they require to launch into contention.
General manager Anthony Parker should have the assets to put together a trade package rather quickly if necessary. Fox, Banchero, Wagner and Suggs is a fearsome four that would surely galvanize O-Town. Another Florida city might have something to say about that, though.
3. You can't forget about the Heat
I am actually being a bit bold by placing the Miami Heat as low as No. 3 on this list, as they are the current odds favorite to land De'Aaron Fox. The overwhelming amount of tension that is encircling the Kaseya Center, which is due to the exhausting Jimmy Butler-Pat Riley saga, makes pulling off a blockbuster deal extremely complicated.
Until Butler is removed from the roster, Miami cannot realistically nail down an agreement with the Kings. But if the Heat find a willing suitor before the trade deadline, whether it be the Phoenix Suns or the Kings themselves, a Fox union is exceedingly attractive.
South Beach has long felt like an ideal match for the 2024 NBA steals leader. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra would wield one of the best backcourts in the league, as Tyler Herro is already enjoying a career year. Fox can run the point and draw defenders his way, thereby gifting Miami newfound offensive opportunities. He can also rekindle his on-court chemistry with his former Kentucky Wildcats teammate, Bam Adebayo.
Riley will have to get creative, but if he can manage to unload Butler, he has the shrewdness to simultaneously brighten the Heat's future and rejuvenate the fan base. Replacing a stellar playoff performer like Jimmy Buckets is a bitter and burdensome endeavor. That cannot be disputed. However, Butler is not the guy to lead the franchise any longer.
After logging 70-plus games in consecutive seasons, and missing only three games thus far in 2024-25, Fox is the workhorse the team needs. Miami is 23-22, in danger of falling into the NBA Play-In Tournament once again. Maybe a young, athletic guard can make life much easier for the perennially gritty group.
