NBA Rumors: Top 5 Potential De'Aaron Fox Trade Destinations: Heat, Lakers, Spurs, and More
This NBA trade season may be even more fascinating now that De'Aaron Fox is part of the rumor mill.
With an average of 25.2 points and 6.2 assists, the 27-year-old point guard may be traded by the Sacramento Kings before to the deadline of February 6.
Now, conjecture begins (particularly when Charania revealed that small detail regarding a "target destination").
The following is a list of the top locations for Fox.
5. Miami Heat
For weeks, Jimmy Butler's predicament has been escalating. He's also not a bad substitute for Fox in Sacramento, even though he might not be the best.
Though his explosiveness has diminished, Butler, 35, may be able to play some nominal point guard for the Kings thanks to his playmaking skills (especially given Sacramento has plenty of passing from DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis).
On the flip side, it's actually simpler to explain the fit.
Butler is eight years older than Fox. Bam Adebayo, Kel'el Ware, and Tyler Herro are already three possible building stones for Miami that mesh well together. That group would naturally include the Kings guard, despite his somewhat inconsistent three-point shooting.
Furthermore, Miami is not undergoing a complete reconstruction like Brooklyn is. The Heat can compete with Herro and Adebayo even if they receive a forward-looking trade package to resolve the Butler situation.
Miami is one of the Eastern Conference clubs that Fox maintains has a "puncher's chance" of making a deep playoff run.
4. Brooklyn Nets
Due of their rapid rise following Shams' revelation and their abundance of resources, the Brooklyn Nets are included here, almost as a token.
"The Nets, per sources, are among the teams that view De'Aaron Fox as a trade target and have been monitoring the Fox situation in [Sacramento]," SNY's Ian Begley wrote. "... Nets, obviously, have significant trade assets to use to acquire a player of Fox's caliber."
The problem is that at this point, he simply doesn't make much sense for Brooklyn.
Yes, with a deal like this, the Nets could turn around and start competing instead of rebuilding. Particularly in the East, a core that includes Fox, Cameron Johnson, and Nicolas Claxton would be difficult to beat.
Brooklyn is already well on its way to being a top pick in 2025, and it wouldn't make it a title challenger either.
A few more victories before June are probably not worth giving up a chance at Cooper Flagg (or Dylan Harper or Ace Bailey). Heck, the Nets could probably defend their poor play the next season. AJ Dybantsa might be the most valuable member of the class of 2025.
3. Orlando Magic
With Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero at forward, the Orlando Magic boast one of the league's most intriguing one-two punches. Additionally, both are excellent playmakers in their roles.
However, that might have caused some of us to believe that they don't require a point guard. Perhaps they would not in the future. However, the Magic now have the NBA's second-worst offense.
Both Banchero and Wagner have been on the floor throughout numerous possessions, but the team still struggles on that end, even though that can be partially attributed to injuries.
If those young stars were attacking closeouts and defenses that were jumbled by Fox's drives to the paint, just think of how much easier their lives would be. Conversely, consider how much more Fox might risk on steals with Orlando's long, seemingly unwavering defenders at his side.
The Magic have young players, selections, and plenty of salary-matching fodder to lure Sacramento. Additionally, Fox has the ability to transform them from a resilient upstart into a legitimate contender to defeat any Eastern Conference team in a postseason series.
2. Los Angeles Lakers
If someone like Fox is available, the Los Angeles Lakers' reluctance to include Austin Reaves in trades that could land them a third star (or near-star) should go away, even if the Lakers aren't one of his preferred destinations.
Reaves is just a year older than Fox. He is a consistent All-Star candidate, even in the West. Additionally, it would be simpler to view L.A. as a legitimate competitor in the post-LeBron scenario with Fox replacing Reaves.
L.A. could make a highly aggressive offer for the Kings star by combining the contracts for Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Gabe Vincent (or Jarred Vanderbilt), adding a few selections to the trade package.
Furthermore, the Oklahoma City Thunder are far from unbeatable even though they are sweeping the #1 spot in the West. Anyone could be irritated by LeBron, AD, Fox, and a strong supporting cast.
1. San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are the clear choice that is staring us all in the face.
The prospect of a one-two punch between Victor Wembanyama and Fox is exciting. Fox would have more driving lanes thanks to the big man's shooting range. The guard's cutting would give Wemby valuable extra room for his perimeter receptions.
It is simple to observe the symbiosis. In fact, Fox himself might already be imagining it.
"According to multiple sources, if De'Aaron Fox leaves the Kings via trade, his preferred landing spot is the San Antonio Spurs," James Ham of ESPN 1320 said. "It could be an interesting couple of days in Sacramento."
It's interesting, especially considering that San Antonio has the resources to essentially bury the trade packages of all the other companies on the list.
Players like Zach Collins, Devin Vassell, and Keldon Johnson make it simple to access Fox's pay. The Spurs can also make a number of pick swaps and/or first-round selections.
The team would have a foundation that could begin contending for titles as early as the following season, even if its depth isn't quite there right after a Fox agreement.
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