Kings trade De’Aaron Fox to Spurs in 3-team deal, reports say. Sacramento gets Zach LaVine
De’Aaron Fox touched down in Sacramento in the days following the 2017 NBA draft and hit the ground running.
The 19-year-old kid from the University of Kentucky flew by in a blur, pushing the pace while biding his time before eventually leading the city to heights it hadn’t achieved since the golden age of Kings basketball in the early 2000s.
Fox grew up before Sacramento’s eyes, getting married, starting a family and landing a signature shoe deal with the Curry Brand while establishing himself as one of the most dynamic young players in the league. Kings fans marveled at his remarkable talent for almost eight seasons, but all good things come to an end.
The Kings made a blockbuster move Sunday, trading Fox to the San Antonio Spurs — where he’ll pair with rising big man Victor Wembanyama — in a multi-team trade that brings Zach LaVine to the Kings from the Chicago Bulls, as first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania and confirmed to The Sacramento Bee by a league source.
The Kings will receive LaVine, Sidy Cissoko, three first-round picks and three second-round picks. They’ll be sending Kevin Huerter to the Bulls and Jordan McLaughlin to the Spurs.
The first-round picks, according to Charania, are coming via Charlotte in 2025, San Antonio in 2027 and Minnesota in 2031. The Charlotte pick is top-14 protected and will likely become two second-round picks in 2026 and 2027.
The news of Fox becoming available surfaced last week before Wednesday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers. Fox confirmed other teams were reaching out to the Kings about his availability and said he had a preferred destination in mind, pointing to reports suggesting he wanted to land with the Spurs.
Sunday’s trade came less than 24 hours after the NBA world was stunned by the trade sending Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. And it came less than 24 hours after the Kings fell to the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, 144-110, to fall to 1-4 on their current road trip. The Kings will conclude their six-game trip Monday in Minnesota.
Zach LaVine set to don purple
LaVine, a two-time All-Star, gives the Kings a backcourt replacement for Fox who could potentially help them remain in the crowded playoff hunt in the Western Conference. The 29-year-old is in the midst of one of his most efficient seasons, averaging 24.0 points per game while shooting a career-best 51% from the floor. LaVine is also making 44.6% of his shots from 3-point range.
He’ll rejoin his former Bulls teammate DeMar DeRozan in Sacramento. The two were paired in Chicago for three seasons from 2021 until DeRozan joined the Kings in a sign-and-trade deal last summer.
LaVine had been on the Kings’ radar for some time. They signed him to an offer sheet in 2018 worth $78 million over four years. The Bulls matched that offer sheet and he stayed with the Bulls for the next seven seasons. The team with LaVine and DeRozan never reached the club’s expectations, losing in the first round of the playoffs in 2022 and failing to get out of the play-in the following two seasons.
LaVine, who turns 30 on March 10, signed a five-year, $215 million extension in 2022. He’ll be under contract with the Kings through next season at $46 million before deciding on a player option for the 2026-27 season worth just under $49 million at age 31.
LaVine will presumably join the starting lineup with Malik Monk, DeRozan, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis.
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Cissoko, 20, was the 44th overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft for the Spurs. The Frenchman is listed as a small forward standing 6-foot-8, but has only appeared in 29 games in the NBA. He’s averaged 2.3 points and 1.1 rebound per game. He’s made 4 of 19 shots from long range in his career.
Fox era comes to a close
Fox was in the middle of his eighth season in Sacramento. The Kings as of Sunday were 24-24, 10th in the Western Conference, and trying to have their third straight season above .500 for the first time since 2004-06. He set a franchise record with 60 points while going 22 of 35 from the field in an overtime loss to Minnesota on Nov. 15 in Sacramento.
The high point of his Kings career came in the spring of 2023 when he helped the team break the longest playoff drought in NBA history after 16 consecutive losing seasons. He scored 38 points in Game 1 against the Golden State Warriors, tying a record for a player making his postseason debut, and 24 in Game 2 while Sacramento jumped out to a 2-0 lead.
Fox then suffered an avulsion fracture to his left index finger during Game 4. The Kings wound up losing the series in seven games.
Fox, who was beloved in Sacramento and often expressed his admiration for the city’s small-market charm, made his 500th start for the Kings in Saturday’s loss to the Thunder. He earned All-Star and All-NBA Third Team honors for the first time in 2022-23. He also won the NBA’s inaugural Jerry West Clutch Player of the Year Award after leading the league in clutch scoring.
Fox in his seven-plus seasons averaged 21.5 points, 6.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 47% from the floor and 33% from 3-point range. Despite his midseason exit, Fox will undoubtedly go down as one of the biggest fan favorites in franchise history.
This story was originally published February 2, 2025 at 5:45 PM.
