Kings Trade De’Aaron Fox to Spurs, Leverage Guard for Zach Lavine, Future Picks

After several weeks of speculation, discussions, and countless rumors the Kings finally made a huge in-season trade like everyone thought they would. And boy was it a big one. While they could have gone all-in on what has been a pretty rocky season under an interim coach, Sacramento decided to hedge their bets and do a little bit of everything.

Rather than making headlines by bringing in new talent and giving up picks, they traded away superstar guard De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs in a three-way deal that also included the Chicago Bulls.

(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Recent reports stated that Fox could be on the table. Those same reports also stated he would command a high price. In the deal, the Kings didn’t just swap one good player for another, they set themselves up for the future as well.

They received Bulls’ all star Zach LaVine alongside Sidy Cissoko, a 2025 first-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2031 first-round pick, a 2025 second-round pick, and a 2028 second-round pick.

Those drafts come from the Hornets, Spurs, Timberwolves, Nuggets, and Bulls respectively. While they may not all pan out, getting a whopping five picks and a strong guard for one player could pay huge dividends in the coming years.

Go Big or Go Home

The trade is one of the biggest the Kings have ever pulled off, and one they hope will continue to foster what has become a solid roster. The likes of Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, and Malik Monk are all playing great basketball. The bench has come alive as of late too.

While giving up Fox may seem odd given the Kings recent success, the team has tapered off a bit after first surging under interim head coach Doug Christie. They won quite a few games when he took over, but things have now calmed down.

If the Kings were still streaking, they most certainly would have kept Fox and tried to make a deep playoff run with their current pieces. However, they are 5-5 in their last 10 games and aren’t playing at a championship level.

That dropoff, combined with doubt about Fox signing an extension over the summer, ultimately led the Kings to make a move. They didn’t necessarily want to get rid of Fox, but in doing so they opened the door for the future in a few different ways.

A New Guard in Town

If Sacramento had just traded Fox for the picks, the deal would ultimately be viewed as a bad trade. The Kings have enough strong pieces to be a perennial playoff contender, and losing out on such a high quality player for some rookies a few years away wouldn’t make sense.

However, they also managed to land LaVine. That’s critical because, while he’s older and now quite as skilled as Fox, the lanky guard still has a lot in the tank. In fact, he’s been playing great this season even compared to previous years.

Currently, LaVine is averaging 24 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 0.9 steals a game compared to Fox’s 25 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.5 steals. Those are remarkably similar stat lines, which means the Kings aren’t out of the playoff race just yet.

LaVine is two years older than Fox, and certainly doesn’t pass the eye test as well, but he’s still more than capable of taking over the reins. If he continues to play at a high level there’s no reason he couldn’t lead the team into the postseason.

It’s also important to note that LaVine is currently averaging 34.1 minutes a night. He’s a workhorse, which is exactly what Sacramento needs if they want to stay in the playoff race down the stretch.

Not Done Yet

Taking the above information into account, it seems the Kings made out pretty well. They did lose their best player and a fan favorite, but they did so in a way that allows them to operate at a surplus for the next several years.

There’s also a lot of hope left for this season. While the plethora of picks will have many fans already looking to the summer, the Kings aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. All they need to compete is for LaVine to continue his high level play in California.

The team is back to .500. That might not be where they want to be, but it’s still good enough for 10th in the Western Conference. If the season ended right now they would get a play-in game with a shot at taking on the first seed.

They are also only 3.5 games back of the sixth seed. There’s a lot of basketball left to play, and while Fox will be missed by the purple and black, LaVine could be a strong fill-in while they wait for the rookies to come pouring in over the next several seasons.

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