NBA Trade Rumors: The Sacramento Kings' asking price for De'Aaron Fox ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline might've just been revealed.
In what may have caught nearly everyone by surprise, the Sacramento Kings are reportedly open to listening to offers for De'Aaron Fox ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline. Does that mean the Kings are 100 percent going to trade Fox before February 6? That remains to be seen. However, the Kings aren't exactly closing the door on that possibility.
At the core of it all, it comes down to this. Fox may not have demanded a trade away from the Kings but there's a very real chance he informed the front office that he doesn't have plans on signing a contract extension with the team. With just one year on his contract after this season, that means the Kings have a small window to get the most value out of a potential trade. That's why trading him before the deadline could be crucial for the Kings to maximize his trade value.
But, again, that doesn't necessarily mean that the Kings are going to move on from the All-Star point guard ahead of the deadline. Sure, the possibility is there for such a move but I can't imagine Sacramento is going to make a trade just for the sake of doing so. The right deal has to come along for the Kings to pull the trigger and it's been revealed what exactly would add up to the right offer for the Kings.
The asking price for De'Aaron Fox
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Kings are in the market for win-now players and draft capital in return for Fox. At the top of the list of potential suitors for Fox is the San Antonio Spurs. In theory, San Antonio may be able to meet that asking price but it will be interesting to see what other potential market develops for the Kings over the next week.
From all indications, it doesn't appear as if the Kings are in any rush to hit the rebuild button on their build. This is a team that has made the postseason just once in their last 18 years (not counting their appearance in last year's NBA Play-In Tournament). With still a talented roster in place, there's reason to believe they'd want to continue building toward emerging as a competitive team in the Western Conference; I'm not sure how a full-blown rebuild helps on that front.
It will be interesting to see what the ultimate return is for Fox and whether he's moved at next week's trade deadline or if this is a situation that will only linger into the offseason. Either way, it does appear as if change is ahead for the Kings.