The Sacramento Kings had one of the most consequential trade deadlines in recent franchise history. This chaotic period was foreshadowed by a season that, to this point, has not gone according to plan. And now, star point guard De’Aron Fox is no longer on the roster after being traded to the San Antonio Spurs. It’s a shame this happened.
A former No. 5 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft out of the University of Kentucky, Fox went through five years of disappointment with the team that drafted him. The Kings had the longest playoff drought in the NBA at 16 heading into the 2022-2023 season. But that year, under new head coach Mike Brown, Sacramento went from Western Conference bottom dweller to the best story of the NBA season.
De’Aron Fox and Domanatas Sabonis formed one of the best offensive duos in the NBA, and the “Light the Beam” movement was formed. De’Aron was there for the difficult times and helped this franchise emerge from a massive hole and become a No. 3 seed in the conference.
One-and-half years later, Mike Brown has been fired, and Fox has been dealt from the franchise that drafted him. However, the problem is not that Sacramento has decided to trade its 27-year-old star point guard. It’s what the team got in return, which has been this franchise’s most significant mistake this trade deadline.
Sacramento did not get enough back for De’Aron Fox
While it seems like the Kings got a decent haul for Fox, a closer look points out the fundamental flaws of this deal. The return involved Sidy Cissoko, Zach LaVine, Charlotte’s 2025 first-round pick, Chicago’s 2025 second-round pick, San Antonio’s 2027 first-round pick, Denver’s 2028 second-round pick (via San Antonio), 2028 second-round pick (its own, via Chicago), and Minnesota’s 2031 first-round pick (via San Antonio).
Looking at the first-round picks, the Charlotte one is lottery-protected. If the Hornets do not make the playoffs, which they won’t, this will result in two second-round picks. The San Antonio pick is unprotected. However, the Spurs now have Fox and Victor Wembanyama on their roster, so that selection will likely be in the 20s.
The Minnesota selection might have promise, but that likely depends on whether Anthony Edwards remains with his franchise until then. At just 23 years old, Ant will be in his prime that year, which diminishes this selection’s potential trade value. With the way the Bulls have been playing recently, that first second-round pick should be high. The other two remain to be seen.
Overall, for a star point guard who helped turn around the franchise, the draft capital the Kings received back would not be bad if they received a valuable asset in return on the court. The first player, Sidy Cissoko, is a 20-year-old late second-round pick from 2023. The guard/forward is considered a project. Zach LaVine’s addition to the deal is confusing. The Bulls’ shooting guard, to the point he was dealt, was having a stellar season in Chicago.
The two-time All-Star, however, was seen as being an undesirable asset until this year. While LaVine’s contract of about $95 million over the next two years is somewhat manageable, it does marginally limit Sacramento’s roster flexibility that it would’ve had on Fox’s contract until 2026. LaVine’s addition also fits into the issue the Kings had coming into this season.
The Kings did nothing to improve what’s been their biggest weakness for years
Sacramento’s move to trade Fox makes the sign-and-trade for DeMar DeRozan look extra confusing. The Kings made the bold move to deal for the six-time All-Star in a gamble that has not paid off. While DeRozan has been efficient offensively, he and Fox have slightly redundant skill sets when it comes to scoring. Neither are considered elite three-point shooters and consequently, Sacramento’s efficiency from beyond the arc got worse this season.
In addition, at 35 years old, DeRozan is not anywhere near the defender he used to be. The Kings needed an elite three-and-D option to pair with Sabonis and Fox this offseason—think of the OG Anunoby archetype. Instead, the team ran into a similar dynamic that the Phoenix Suns did when they added Bradley Beal. They have too many redundant skill sets on offense and are getting worse on defense.
Sacramento has struggled on this end of the floor for years now. And this team is now 20th in defensive rating and has struggled against physical, offensive-minded squads. While Zach LaVine is bigger than De’Aaron Fox, he is defensively not on the same level as the Spurs’ newest point guard.
In the six games since its addition of LaVine, Sacramento is 3-3, giving up 122.5 points per game. Zach has struggled with his stroke, shooting just 43.1% from the field and 26.1% from three-point range. With two more years on the books after this season, it’ll be challenging for the Kings to trade the shooting guard until sometime in 2026. And that dynamic speaks to how this move raises questions about the franchise’s longtime future.
It’s unclear what direction this franchise is going in
Currently, the Kings have $30 million in cap space that they can spend on their roster this offseason before going over the first apron. For now, it does not seem like the franchise has any other blockbuster trades waiting in the wings. Which begs the question of what direction this team is going in. Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan have been reunited after playing together for three years.
The Kings’ dynamic is not very different from those Bulls teams. Two skilled guards and an elite offensive center who are flawed defensively, and some uncertainty outside of that. This Kings’ roster is, however, certainly more talented.
Domanatas Sabonis is a far better player than Nikola Vucevic on both ends, while Malik Monk and Keegan Murray are very solid NBA starters And Murray, at just 24 years old, still has some encouraging upside. But the upside of this roster is still limited, and the addition of LaVine does not make this team better than it was with Fox.
Sabonis is still one of the best big men in the NBA and is only 28. The three-time All-Star still has four to five more years of his prime left and is under contract until 2028. Sacramento might ultimately trade Sabonis, which would be disappointing considering the franchise’s direction two years ago.
In 2023, the Kings were coming off one of the most feel-good seasons ever. In addition, their roster had an average age below 26, and the success was seemingly built to last. Even if it did not result in a championship, this organization would seemingly field a competitive team going forward.
At 28-27 and ninth in the Western Conference, that sustained competitiveness isn’t so certain. Perhaps one of these new picks becomes a player the franchise can build around. Perhaps Sacramento has another major trade that fans won’t see coming. But, for now, the De’Aron Fox trade does not look like it yielded an adequate return. And in a trade deadline that was supposed to provide the Kings with more answers on their future, this team now has more questions.
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