De'Aaron Fox's time with the only NBA franchise he has known reportedly has reached a sudden end.
The star point guard was traded to the San Antonio Spurs, with Sacramento acquiring star guard Zach LaVine from the Chicago Bulls, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Sunday night, citing sources.
BREAKING: Sacramento is finalizing a trade to send De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs in a multi-team trade that moves Chicago Bulls' Zach LaVine to the Kings, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/Ftmo8N4hMj
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 3, 2025
Per Charania, the Kings forward Sidy Cissoko from the Spurs, along with three first-round draft picks and three second-round draft picks.
As part of the trade, the Kings will send shooting guard Kevin Huerter to the Bulls and guard Jordan McLaughlin to the Spurs, per Charania.
Full trade:
Spurs: De'Aaron Fox, Jordan McLaughlin
Kings: Zach LaVine, Sidy Cissoko, three first round picks (2025 CHA, 2027 SAS, 2031 MIN), three second round picks (2025 CHI, 2028 DEN, 2028 own back)
Bulls: Zach Collins, Tre Jones, Kevin Huerter, their own 2025 pick via SAS https://t.co/UgwylCUYAO
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 3, 2025
Per ESPN's Bobby Marks, citing sources, the Kings will receive the Charlotte Hornets' 2025 top-14 protected first-round pick, San Antonio's unprotected 2027 first-round pick and the Minnesota Timberwolves' unprotected 2031 first-round draft pick.
Sacramento also will receive Chicago's 2025 second-round pick, via the Spurs, the Denver Nuggets' 2028 second-round pick, and a return of their own 2028 second-round pick.
Sources confirm Sacramento is receiving Zach LaVine, three firsts and three seconds in the De’Aaron Fox trade:
To Sacramento
- 2027 unprotected San Antonio 1st
- 2031 unprotected Minnesota 1st
- 2025 top-14 protected Charlotte 1stNote: This first conveyed into a second in…
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) February 3, 2025
Fox entered the league as a 19-year-old rookie after Sacramento selected him No. 5 overall in the 2017 NBA Draft. He has spent the past eight seasons with the Kings, but his future with the organization became murky after he refused to sign a contract extension entering the 2024-25 NBA season.
In late December, his agent Rich Paul met with Kings general manager Monte McNair and assistant GM Wes Wilcox to discuss the star's future, and per The Athletic's Sam Amick and Anthony Slater, the Spurs got a head start in their pursuit of Fox, already positioning themselves to potentially pursue the All-Star guard.
Fox emphasized his priority to win and compete at the highest level, something the Kings have failed to do consistently during his near-decade-long tenure. Fox helped Sacramento snap its 17-year NBA playoff drought two seasons ago, but the Kings didn't make the postseason the following year and have a ways to go to establish themselves as a top-six seed in the wobbly Western Conference this season.
Sacramento currently holds a 24-24 record and is the No. 10 seed in the West.
Fox, who grew up in nearby Houston, now joins an up-and-coming Spurs team led by second-year phenom and the future face of the league in Victor Wembanyama. San Antonio is 21-25 and 12th place in the West.
Fox has been playing with a finger issue in his left shooting hand all season and, more recently, a sprained thumb in his right hand. On the season, he's averaging 25.2 points on 46.8-percent shooting from the field, with 5.0 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.5 steals in 37.2 minutes through 43 games.
LaVine, 29, reunites with former Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan after they spent the last three seasons together in Chicago.
A two-time NBA All-Star, LaVine is averaging 24.0 points on a career-high 51.1 percent shooting from the field and 44.6 percent from 3-point range this season.
In 11 NBA seasons with the Bulls and Timberwolves, LaVine is averaging 20.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.
LaVine is under contract for the 2025-26 season at just under $46 million. He has a player option for the 2026-27 season at just under $49 million.
Instead of acquiring young, controllable players, the Kings opted to bring in another veteran as they keep pushing for a Western Conference playoff spot.
