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Sacramento Kings star point guard De’Aaron Fox is one of the top players rumored to be a trade candidate ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline, and another team is reportedly in the mix to acquire him.
According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, the Orlando Magic “are known to be contemplating a pursuit” of Fox. Amick also noted that the San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers “top the list of teams that are most often discussed as possible Fox landing spots.”
The Magic have dealt with a slew of injuries to key players but still rank first in the Southeast Division with a 20-15 record. The team has managed to stay afloat despite being without rising star forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, who are both sidelined indefinitely with oblique injuries.
Adding Fox would give Orlando or any other team that acquires him one of the best point guards in the NBA. The 27-year-old is ranked fifth in the NBA while averaging a career-high 26.8 points along with 5.0 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.6 steals. He put on one of the best performances of the season so far when he dropped a career-high 60 points on 22-of-35 shooting in an overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 15.
Despite Fox’s individual brilliance, the Kings have struggled to overcome a tumultuous start to the year and rank last in the Pacific Division with a 15-19 record. Head coach Mike Brown was fired last week and replaced by interim coach Doug Christie.
Prior to the 2024 season, Fox turned down a three-year, $165 million maximum extension from Sacramento because he’s eligible for a four-year, $229 million max extension next summer. If he’s selected to one of the three All-NBA teams this season, he will be eligible for a five-year, $345 million supermax deal.
The Kings’ disappointing season could influence the team to tear things down and rebuild for the future. Trading a player of Fox’s caliber would undoubtedly require a massive return that could give Sacramento a bevy of assets to help improve the roster.