Shams Charania shook up the NBA world yesterday when he announced on Twitter/X that the Sacramento Kings are open to dealing star guard De'Aaron Fox before this year's NBA Trade Deadline on Feb. 6. A lot of tweet notifications have been turned on ever since.
As is the case when any star player becomes available, the glitz and glam of Hollywood has brought the Los Angeles Lakers into the conversation as a potential trade suitor for Fox's services. How realistic their chances are to acquire the one-time All-Star is a whole different conversation.
Where do the Lakers stack up in the sweepstakes?
The big point that needs to be said right off the bat is not only is there a healthy amount of competition for Fox's services, but the lightning-fast guard may have a preferred destination which is not the Lakers.
Despite the immediate link of Fox sharing an agent (Rich Paul) with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Charania told ESPN that 'the Lakers are not part of that destination of choice.' Instead, it appears the Kings star is eyeing a move that could secure his long-term future. Charania had more with a follow-up report to the initial breaking news.
"The Sacramento Kings have gotten dozens of calls in the last seven, eight, nine hours since I reported this story. Fox and his representation, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, they have a strategic destination in mind as his potential landing spot ahead of his free agency in 2026. I'm told the San Antonio Spurs are top that list of preferred destinations.Shams Charania
Why that matters is because this is a complicated situation. De'Aaron Fox becomes a free agent in 2026. So wherever he might land, that team will want to know whether he'll be able to stay long-term, whether that team is going to have a chance to keep him."
The Spurs are armed with enough draft capital and young players to make any trade for Fox a worthwhile venture for the Kings. It is also extremely understandable why a star guard would want to position themselves as the running mate for the next face of the league, Victor Wembanyama.
Should Rob Pelinka and the Lakers front office still want to take a swing at the Fox sweepstakes, the NBA insiders report from ESPN believes it will be an uphill battle for Los Angeles.
"The question is whether the Lakers could make an attractive enough offer to Sacramento, even if they include unprotected first-round picks in both 2029 and 2031.ESPN insiders
Unlike the other teams involved, the Lakers can't offer Sacramento a replacement for Fox at point guard. And unless the Lakers are willing to deal Reaves, the Kings would have to take back either wing Jarred Vanderbilt or guard Gabe Vincent."
The reality of the situation sounds like the Lakers may be outgunned in the asset pool by some of their competitors pursuing Fox.
There are numerous reasons to like the potential fit of the Kings speedster in Los Angeles. Not only would Fox position the team to win now, but he would also allow for the Lakers to have a foundation for life after LeBron.
Ultimately, while it would be dismissive to completely discount Los Angeles from the sweepstakes here, it may also be wise to not get those custom-printed jerseys just yet.