The Sacramento Kings have accepted reality regarding DeAaron Fox’s future with the organization.
As of now, Fox doesn’t look like he’ll sign an extension with the Kings. His contract has one year left.
Fox and the Kings are at a crossroads, with the player having the leverage.
Any team that trades for Fox will need assurance that he will resign if the Kings want a maximum return. That limits the number of teams that try to acquire Fox unless the Kings are willing to trade him for pennies on the dollar.
The Kings could lose the NBA Governors’ trump card. If Fox doesn’t make the All-NBA team, he’s not eligible for the SuperMax. That means the Kings’ maximum offer per the Collective Bargaining Agreement wouldn’t be higher than any other team.
At this moment, it doesn’t look like Fox is going to make an All-NBA team, so the risk of losing him for nothing is very real. No NBA organization wants to face the same thing Oklahoma City went through when they lost Kevin Durant for nothing.
The NBA Governors and, to a lesser extent, the NBPA could look good based on how Fox has handled this.
In the past, the players signed an extension and then forced their way out so the contract could be traded at its maximum value.
Fox chose not to sign an extension, ala Durant, so the leverage is a product of Fox exchanging security for choices. That is much more palatable than what is happening in Miami with Jimmy Butler, who decided to make things difficult when the Heat wouldn’t extend him.
What makes this situation different from a Sacramento perspective is that they aren’t in a rebuild and, by all indications, aren’t heading in that direction, which means stacking future assets isn’t going to be enough.
If the Kings want to build around Domantis Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan, a combination of players and future assets will be needed. A third team could be needed to get involved in a trade that benefits the Kings.
The popular potential destination is the San Antonio Spurs, but could this be done without Stephon Castle being involved in the deal? Would the Spurs want Fox so badly that they would trade a player considered a core cog of their future?
Houston is another destination mentioned. The Rockets are in second place in the Western Conference. Why would they break up the chemistry and calculated plan to acquire a player who might not put the organization on a higher trajectory? Wouldn’t it make more sense for the Rockets to stay on the same path, especially with the current CBA restricting movement?
Moving Fox might require creativity if the Kings want to stay competitive, but it’s achievable.
