NBA rumors: Kings true De'Aaron Fox trade stance
12/20/2024 10:07 PM
One of the most disappointing teams in the NBA this season has been the Sacramento Kings. Through 28 games, the Kings sit at just 13-15 and sit at 12th in the Western Conference.
The Kings have struggled this season despite making a big move to add former Bulls star DeMar DeRozan this offseason. The move gave the Kings three stars — DeRozan along with De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis — that they can rely on late in games to help them win some of these close contests against the talented teams throughout the Western Conference.
Now, with the Kings struggling to tread water and teams on the rise like the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs taking their spot, trade speculation has started to swirl around the team. Fox is one of the main names surrounding the trade rumors, especially those involving Bulls star Zach LaVine, but the Kings aren’t looking to move their star point guard according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
“The Sacramento Kings have long held interest in LaVine, yet many league personnel feel targeting the Bulls star isn’t in this team’s plans,” Siegel reported. “While discussing Sacramento, it is worth mentioning that the team holds zero intentions of trading or making De’Aaron Fox available in trade talks, league sources say. Kevin Huerter and Trey Lyles are the two main contracts the Kings continue to dangle on the trade market and search for upgrades with.”
It makes sense why the Kings would want to stay away from LaVine after making the DeRozan move. The two were just together in Chicago on a team that was not successful, and giving up Fox in a potential deal is even more incentive to avoid the trade.
Potential trade targets for the Kings this season
While Zach LaVine, or any other massive salary number, may be off the table for the Kings due to their reluctance to trade De’Aaron Fox, there are still some smaller deals that they can make as they look to improve on the margins and push for a payoff spot.
Specifically, they could be looking for more help on the wing as they look for another reliable scorer off the ball and someone that can help them on the boards while they navigate life with Sabonis, who is on the smaller side, at center. Help could be coming soon in those areas according to Siegel.
“Many continue to view the Kings as the destination that makes the most sense for Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma, who is also drawing interest from several other teams, as noted in last week’s Siegel’s Scoop intel column on ClutchPoints,” Siegel reported.
The Kings would likely be able to swing a deal for Kuzma by exchanging the Huerter and Lyles contracts along with some draft capital for the rebuilding Wizards. With Kuzma’s size and ability to create on the second side as someone who wouldn’t see a ton of attention from opposing defenses, he can be a key piece in a playoff push for the Kings.
The post NBA rumors: Kings true De’Aaron Fox trade stance appeared first on ClutchPoints.
