Hypothetical De'Aaron Fox 4-team trade to Rockets involving Cam Johnson

01/02/2025 03:47 PM

In exactly one month, all 30 teams around the league will be working their phones to determine if they will be involved in any deals before the 2025 NBA trade deadline. Nobody ever knows what will occur at the trade deadline. Yet, it is a foregone conclusion that the Sacramento Kings will be looking to make some moves, especially given that they just fired head coach Mike Brown and are going to do everything in their power to keep De’Aaron Fox happy.

There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Kings as an organization right now. Brown was fired without any warning, and the organization did so over a phone call while he was on his way to the team plane for their next road game. Since this drastic move, general manager Monte McNair, assistant general manager Wes Wilcox, and team governor Vivek Ranadive have completely avoided giving explanations due to their refusal to speak with the media.

On top of Brown’s departure, Sacramento is just 15-19 overall this season despite having a roster headlined by three All-Star talents: Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and DeMar DeRozan. This is a team that was built to win and do so right now, which is why it’s expected that the Kings will make another significant change before the trade deadline.

Oh, and it’s worth mentioning that Fox’s future is very much a question mark. Aside from turning down a contract extension offer this past offseason, Fox’s agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, recently met with the organization before Brown was fired to discuss his client’s long-term future with the team. Fox has made it clear that he had nothing to do with the 2022-23 NBA Coach of the Year being fired, as he has always held a strong bond with Brown.

Where do the Kings go from here with the clock ticking louder every day?

Although it is very unlikely to happen, the thought of trading Fox is certainly an option on the table for Sacramento at this juncture. The 27-year-old All-Star would hold significant value on the trade market this season, and several teams would be lining up to potentially land the Kings star in a trade. Out of all the teams around the league, the Houston Rockets would make the most sense as a possible suitor for Fox if he requested a trade over the next month, especially given that he is from there.

While this is strictly a hypothetical scenario with no real momentum, a Fox trade involving the Kings, Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, and Detroit Pistons would give Sacramento a path to remaining competitive while building a stronger core.

How De’Aaron Fox-Rockets trade could work right now

Houston Rockets receive: G De’Aaron Fox, F Doug McDermott

Sacramento Kings receive: F Cam Johnson, G Reed Sheppard, F Jabari Smith Jr., F Jae’Sean Tate, HOU 2026 2nd-round Pick, HOU 2028 1st-round pick (unprotected)

Brooklyn Nets receive: G Tim Hardaway Jr., F Trey Lyles, G/F Cam Whitmore, BKN 2027 1st-round swap (HOU returns BKN 1st-round swap from prior trade), PHX 2027 1st-round pick (via HOU)

Detroit Pistons receive: G Kevin Huerter, HOU 2025 2nd-round pick (MEM owns rights to swap), SAC 2027 2nd-round pick 

There are multiple parts to this hypothetical trade — the first being Fox truly asking out of Sacramento. The Kings remain committed to Fox this season, and they have given zero indications to rival teams that they are entertaining the idea of trading the young star. With this said, he could request a trade at any time, which puts Sacramento in a very tough spot as an organization.

If Fox asks out this season and wishes for the Kings to deal him before the trade deadline, the Rockets are the team most well-equipped to put together a package that would return the most value to Sacramento. At the same time, the two teams would need to get the Brooklyn Nets involved in this trade in order to get Cam Johnson, whom the Kings have high at the top of their trade deadline wish list.

The big question stemming from a trade involving Fox and Johnson points in the direction of Kevin Huerter and what his future suddenly looks like. That is where the fourth team, the Detroit Pistons, are involved.

For starters, Fox and Doug McDermott going to the Rockets is roughly $36.9 million in salary, which Houston can easily put together without having to include either Alperen Sengun or Jalen Green in discussions. However, the Kings aren’t going to want a bunch of scraps in the form of Jae’Sean Tate, Jock Landale, and Jeff Green for one of the best guards in the entire league, which is why they will need to sacrifice true value in the form of Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr., Cam Whitmore, Tate, and several draft picks if they want any shot at landing Fox.

These four players, plus five different draft picks, send Fox home. This is where phase two of the hypothetical scenario comes into play, as Sacramento can now utilize some of the assets they received from Houston to add Johnson on the wing. The Nets hold a high asking price for Johnson, which means a chunk of draft assets would need to go their way from Sacramento. Along with the Phoenix Suns’ 2027 first-round pick they acquired for Fox, the Kings would also send out Whitmore, Trey Lyles, and a 2027 first-round swap they received from Houston.

Funny enough, this 2027 pick swap is originally owned by the Nets, so the Rockets would be returning the right to swap with Brooklyn, which allows them to keep their first-round pick without any restraints for 2027.

The final part of this trade is finding a landing spot for Huerter and his contract. Heading into the trade deadline, the Detroit Pistons have made it known they are willing to take on salaries and help facilitate trades for draft assets. Along with a 2025 second-round pick the Kings got from the Rockets, Sacramento would send an additional 2027 second-round pick to Detroit, who is taking on Huerter. As a result, Tim Hardaway Jr. goes to Brooklyn as an expiring contract to make the final logistics of this trade work.

This second-round pick going from Houston to Detroit is owned by the Memphis Grizzlies in a way, as they own the right to swap for this pick if it’s more favorable than the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2025 second-round pick.

While losing Fox is a major hit to the Kings, a return of Johnson, Smith, Sheppard, and an unprotected first-round pick from Houston creates upside both now and in the future. Johnson and Smith create immediate forward depth, while Sheppard is a young guard the Kings held interest in during the pre-draft process.

The Rockets land Fox, and the Nets get value in the form of Whitmore, draft assets, and expiring contracts for Johnson. Then there are the Pistons, who get to take a shot at a key three-point shooting weapon on the wing while also adding some second-round picks to utilize at their disposal.

If there is one scenario that makes sense for the Kings to trade De’Aaron Fox and maintain a bright-looking future, it’s this four-team deal with the Rockets, Nets, and Pistons. Then again, it is unlikely that Sacramento thinks about trading Fox.

What does Fox’s future look like?

The growing expectation around the NBA is that De’Aaron Fox will remain in Sacramento through the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, especially since McNair’s front office is actively looking to upgrade their talent. Despite being four games below .500 at the moment, the Kings still believe they are a team that can compete in the playoffs.

That is why Johnson remains a key trade target for the Kings inching closer to the trade deadline. Sacramento is currently exploring all of their options on the trade block right now, which is why prominent names like Kyle Kuzma, Jerami Grant, Brandon Ingram, and Zach LaVine have all been linked to this franchise in addition to Johnson. It is not expected that the Kings will pursue Ingram or LaVine due to the size of their respective contracts.

After turning down an extension this past summer, many around the league raised an eyebrow at the notion that Fox could be preparing for a change of scenery. Now that Brown is out and the Kings are struggling, rumors surrounding Fox are only growing.

At this time, there are no indications that the Kings want to trade De’Aaron Fox, nor is there a sense that the All-Star guard is going to request a trade. When Fox turned down an extension offer this past summer, he did so with the idea of receiving a supermax extension in 2025. The only thing Fox is worried about right now is winning in Sacramento, and the rest will figure itself out in the offseason.

After all, the Kings star still has one more year left on his contract, which will lead to even more trade speculation during the summer.

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