With the Sacramento Kings amid an underwhelming season, star point guard De’Aaron Fox has been in trade rumors lately. In late December, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon mentioned the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat as teams to watch if Fox asks out of Sacramento.
However, a report from The Athletic’s Sam Amick on Thursday poured cold water on the notion that Fox will be traded soon. Fox reportedly has yet to demand a trade, and there exists a “strong belief” that he will be available on the market in the offseason as opposed to prior to the trade deadline.
“While league sources say Fox has not asked for a trade, that hasn’t stopped interested teams from planning for a possible run at the 27-year-old former All-Star,” Amick wrote. “Among interested teams, there is a strong belief that Fox is more likely to be available this summer rather than before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.”
Sacramento fired its former head coach, Mike Brown, not long ago. He coached the Kings to their first playoff appearance in well over a decade back in 2023, but he seemingly had an imperfect relationship with Fox. According to former Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams, Fox was “continuously being singled out” by Brown.
The final game Brown spent coaching the Kings before he was relieved of his duties came against the Detroit Pistons on Dec. 26. Sacramento lost that contest by one point after the team was outscored by 15 points in the fourth quarter.
For as much as the Kings’ decision to fire Brown surprised some folks, Sacramento has fared impressively well ever since Doug Christie has taken over as the team’s interim head coach. The squad owns a 2-1 record with the former Kings guard at the helm with wins coming over the Philadelphia 76ers and Dallas Mavericks during that span.
Fox has also played at an incredibly high level lately, as he’s scored 29-plus points in each of his last three contests. He’s on the heels of a 35-point scoring outburst against the 76ers on Jan. 1 and converted all but three of his 16 shots from the floor.
If the Kings can continue to string together wins in the coming days and weeks, perhaps the rumors regarding Fox will die down. Sacramento will seek its third consecutive victory when it faces off against a Memphis Grizzlies squad that’s been one of the top teams in the Western Conference this season.
Memphis’ record of 23-11 has the team as the No. 2 seed in the conference at the moment.
