De'Aaron Fox Rumors Suggest a Possible Trade to The Spurs

[LeBowen]

Castle is the logical centerpiece for both teams.

Potential lead guard replacement + good with fit with Monk (can look to trade DeRozan).

He wouldn't have the space to play a role commensurate with draft status with Fox around and the two together would be untenable spacing wise.

They can target a POA guard-wing defender in the draft or if they have cap space exceeding the MLE, pursue Alexander-Walker.

A non-shooting guard isn't a logical centerpiece for a team with Sabonis.
While Castle has great upside, he's got a couple of years before he gets there.
Doesn't make sense unless they blow it up.
And Kings aren't a franchise that's going to accept where they get worse short term when they're finally back in the playoff picture.
And Carter is a similar type of player.

[scott]

Kings reddit seems to want a forward and a backup big, not another guard. They like Monk/Ellis/Carter as their primary guard rotation. Apparently the lineup of Monk/Ellis/Derozan/Murray/Sabonis has insane splits, something like a +48 NETRTG (I looked it up, it's only +23, but over a decent sample of 124 minutes. 124.8 ORTG and a 101.6 DRTG) so fans want to see more of that lineup.

Maybe the best way to make this happen is with a 3rd team that can deliver a forward to SAC. BKN immediately comes to mind with Cam Johnson and someone like Day'Ron Sharpe.

This works in the trade machine:

SAS Gets Fox

SAC Gets Cam, Sharpe

BKN Gets Keldon, Tre

Add in picks as necessary (probably one to SAC and two to BKN is my guess). You could also add on Blake (but not Bran) to BKN and this would still work.

There are lots of combinations that you could put together to make this work, as far as the cap goes.

[Seventyniner]

Fox’s wife must be pushing hard for this since she’s from SA. Destiny doing its thing. Come on home, Fox’s

Karma for Joumana Kidd 22.5 years later.

[scott]

bro wut

Just thinking about 75% of the San Antonio girls I dated growing up

[Mal]

They’ll likely demand Castle plus 3 or 4 FRP’s + salary filler at minimum imo.

Then let Houston pay them that and shift focus for another superstar on the market

[itzsoweezee]

This smells a lot like Klutch and Sacto posturing about his extension, tbh. How many times does this same scenario have to play out. Rich Paul and Fox want the full bag, Kings don't want to give the full bag, Rich Paul says San Antonio, and then player and current team settle.

Any examples where it got to this point and the player resigned with his team?

[Rosewood]

Our front office is going to this up for sure

The Wemby effect though. Kid is a real blessing.

[rascal]

Yes. This is why you don’t trade Castle. He can play the 2, and then the 1 when Fox loses a step and becomes a CP3 shooter / facilitator (ish). They’re each other’s insurance policies now and later.

You trade Vassell before you think about trading Castle.

[spurraider21]

[Jordan Jackson]

This smells a lot like Klutch and Sacto posturing about his extension, tbh. How many times does this same scenario have to play out. Rich Paul and Fox want the full bag, Kings don't want to give the full bag, Rich Paul says San Antonio, and then player and current team settle.

He’s going to get his money regardless.

He hired Klutch specifically to expedite an exit from the Kings. He is gone. It’s the worst kept secret in the world.

[DPG21920]

Does no one worry that Fox has been meh this year and that a lot of lineups in SAC without him actually have good numbers?

[CGD]

I think this was always the understanding between Pop-Chris.

[spurraider21]

Kings reddit seems to want a forward and a backup big, not another guard. They like Monk/Ellis/Carter as their primary guard rotation. Apparently the lineup of Monk/Ellis/Derozan/Murray/Sabonis has insane splits, something like a +48 NETRTG (I looked it up, it's only +23, but over a decent sample of 124 minutes. 124.8 ORTG and a 101.6 DRTG) so fans want to see more of that lineup.

Maybe the best way to make this happen is with a 3rd team that can deliver a forward to SAC. BKN immediately comes to mind with Cam Johnson and someone like Day'Ron Sharpe.

This works in the trade machine:

SAS Gets Fox

SAC Gets Cam, Sharpe

BKN Gets Keldon, Tre

Add in picks as necessary (probably one to SAC and two to BKN is my guess). You could also add on Blake (but not Bran) to BKN and this would still work.

There are lots of combinations that you could put together to make this work, as far as the cap goes.

[LkrFan]

cOLluSIoN

[CGD]

Cuts both ways tbh. Now that the player has basically stated he wants to come to Texas only, Spurs could have even better leverage this summer.

[100%duncan]

How legit is this source? This means more than anything Klutch has put out in public

[Robz4000]

Does no one worry that Fox has been meh this year and that a lot of lineups in SAC without him actually have good numbers?

I do tbh. I'm on the wait until the off-season to make a deal train. That said, he's been dealing with a torn ligament in his thumb most of the season so that's been playing a role in his level of play.

[CGD]

Does no one worry that Fox has been meh this year and that a lot of lineups in SAC without him actually have good numbers?

Yes, it’s curbed my enthusiasm on him. But I still think that team’s problems all center on Sabonis’s limited defense, so hard to gauge.

[SpursGenius]

Why bring in Fox now. Lets tank for this great draft and get him for free in free agency next year. Unless its for Keldon, Collins, and Charlotte protected pick this year. Throw in a couple low second rounders.

[Robz4000]

There's also the DePression angle too; two ball-dominant players that are terrible defenders in the same unit is asking for disaster tbh.

[spurraider21]

I do tbh. I'm on the wait until the off-season to make a deal train. That said, he's been dealing with a torn ligament in his thumb most of the season so that's been playing a role in his level of play.

so you're saying we should trade for him, shut him down, land flagg, and proceed...

[mudyez]

I'm not opposed to the player Fox, but with all the drama, I'm not sure I want him.

Also I like the path we are on regarding a "big PG - good defenders at any position" path and while Fox is an ok defender, he doesn't fit that path.

[scott]

Does no one worry that Fox has been meh this year and that a lot of lineups in SAC without him actually have good numbers?

I wish we had a guy we could call "meh" because he's only putting up 25/5/6

Here's SAC lines this season. They've got the one lineup without him that I previously mentioned that is really killing it, but the two main Fox lineups are no slouch. Kings are 11th in the NBA in overall NETRTG (+2.6).

However, to your point, the Kings are +1.22 with Fox on and +4.80 with him off. I imagine this is a large part of why the Kings may view him expendable (there was talk of that being possible before today). But, I think it's important to remember that just because a team is better off without a player doesn't necessarily mean the player is bad - it just may not be the ideal fit. And it's not like the Kings are bad when Fox plays (I'd be really concerned if they were a net negative with him on the court and a positive with him off)

[CGD]

Why bring in Fox now. Lets tank for this great draft and get him for free in free agency next year

I mostly agree with this, but for proponents of adding Fox the big threat this summer is Houston.

[CGD]

I wish we had a guy we could call "meh" because he's only putting up 25/5/6

Here's SAC lines this season. They've got the one lineup without him that I previously mentioned that is really killing it, but the two main Fox lineups are no slouch. Kings are 11th in the NBA in overall NETRTG (+2.6).

However, to your point, the Kings are +1.22 with Fox on and +4.80 with him off. I imagine this is a large part of why the Kings may view him expendable (there was talk of that being possible before today). But, I think it's important to remember that just because a team is better off without a player doesn't necessarily mean the player is bad - it just may not be the ideal fit. And it's not like the Kings are bad when Fox plays (I'd be really concerned if they were a net negative with him on the court and a positive with him off)

What do your fancy charts look like for Fox out of curiosity?