De’Aaron Fox trade rumors: Kings to open talks, and All-Star guard has a West landing spot in mind

The Sacramento Kings are expected to open trade talks for All-Star point guard De’Aaron Fox ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline, according to multiple reports. There is expected to be a robust market for Fox’s services, but according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, it is believed that Fox has a preferred destination in mind ahead of his impending free agency in 2026. According to Kings reporter James Ham, that destination is believed to be the San Antonio Spurs. 

Fox trade rumors were common earlier in the season, when the Kings were struggling under Mike Brown. After they fired Brown and promoted Doug Christie, though, the Kings have gone 10-4 and crept back into the Western Conference playoff race. That had seemingly quieted the noise surrounding Fox, at least for the time being, but the Kings have been on alert since this offseason, when Fox elected to not sign a contract extension that could have kept him in Sacramento long-term. Fox reportedly wants to compete for championships, and he seems to have a team in mind on which he can do so.

Earlier this season, when the Fox rumors were at their peak, two teams that were known to be interested were the Spurs and the Houston Rockets. Houston has built a contender this season around a dominant defense, but has struggled to score late in games, an area in which Fox excels. The Spurs, meanwhile, are still looking for a star running mate for Victor Wembanyama as he ascends to his perch as the future face of the sport. Fox would be an obvious fit. The Miami Heat, built around Fox’s college teammate, Bam Adebayo, make sense as well. They are trying to trade Jimmy Butler right now, and could turn around and send assets received in that deal to Sacramento for Fox.

One team that is not expected to factor into discussions, according to Charania, would be the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers are currently limited to trading just two first-round picks, in 2029 and 2031. As of now, there has not been reporting suggesting that the Lakers are the preferred destination for Fox, despite being represented by Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, who also represents LeBron James and Anthony Davis. According to SNY’s Ian Begley, the Brooklyn Nets view Fox as a target as well.

When a star has a specific destination in mind, it can scare off other suitors depending on the circumstances. If that destination is indeed San Antonio, other teams would need to fear Fox simply walking to the Spurs for nothing as a free agent in 2026 because San Antonio has a fairly clean balance sheet.

It is unclear at this time what exactly the Kings would look for in a Fox trade. With DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis still on the team and an owner that has been eager to push this team into contention following its 2023 playoff berth, the Kings could potentially seek a win-now package. However, if Fox is set on a single team, whether it’s San Antonio or somewhere else, Sacramento may not have the leverage to be picky.