SACRAMENTO – From being drafted by the Kings as the No. 5 pick in 2017 to building a life and legacy here, De’Aaron Fox wanted to retire in Sacramento.
But things don’t always work out as you want them to.
From Kings general manager Monte McNair’s perspective, a separation was bound to happen. That became more real entering the 2024-25 season.
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“De’Aaron, incredible player. At the same time, we've offered multiple extensions that's been public in addition to public and private conversations that happened before that decision on the coaching change,” McNair told reporters Wednesday morning during a press conference, three days after trading Fox to the San Antonio Spurs.
“So for us, it became clear that there was no pathway there for a long-term agreement. And that's also why we're here today.”
Fox opted not to sign a contract extension before the start of this season in order to wait and see how the team competed — with winning always top priority.
The Kings started the season 13-18, well below their expectations after acquiring six-time NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan in the offseason. The 18 losses included an 0-5 homestand that resulted in the shocking firing of Mike Brown.
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McNair said Brown’s dismissal never was discussed with Fox, nor any other player on the team. He also stated the decision was his.
“No, De’Aaron had nothing to do with the decision on the coaching change, McNair said.
That might come as a surprise to some internet detectives, who began to speculate Fox and Brown’s relationship had begun to sour. It took 39 days for McNair to take to the podium and address reporters since the firing, and for him to clarify that Fox had no part in it.
He let Fox take the heat from the media, both in person and online, and Fox handled it as well as he could. The point guard stated he wasn’t involved in any way and maintained the rumors weren’t true. He and his wife Recee even met with Brown and his family for dinner shortly after the coach was let go.
McNair’s reasoning for not addressing the media earlier than Wednesday was because he and the Kings brass were “focused on the team” and turning the season around.
The Kings, under interim coach Doug Christie, have somewhat managed to do that. They went 10-2 in Christie’s first dozen games at the helm, including an impressive seven-game win streak. But at that point, it was too late for Fox.
Fox’s agent Rich Paul met with McNair and Kings assistant general manager Wes Wilcox in late December to discuss the one-time All-Star’s future. Just over a month later, the Kings were open to discussing trading Fox before Thursday’s deadline.
McNair didn’t get into the specifics of those conversations with Paul, but he said “conversations had been had” throughout the season and even before over the summer. When it became more evident that the Fox era was nearing an end, McNair opted to explore the trade market.
“I mean anytime a player of that caliber gets closer to the end of the contract, we've offered extensions, as we talked about, anytime there's a transaction window, we revisit, like, ‘How do we handle this?’ ” McNair said. “And I think at this point, with a year and a half left, we decided with the public and private indications we were getting that this was the time to at least explore the market.
“At the same time, when I think about what we got, a return we're excited about, and so that's why we pulled the trigger.”
Sacramento received two-time NBA All-Star Zach LaVine, Sidy Cissoko, three first-round picks (Hornets’ 2025, Spurs’ 2027, Timberwolves’ 2031) and three second-round picks (Bulls’ 2025, Nuggets’ 2028, own 2028 back).
Fox and Jordan McLaughlin went to San Antonio, while Kevin Huerter was shipped off to the Chicago Bulls.
McNair applauded his group’s effort to get what they wanted in return with LaVine and “high-value picks,” adding they “were not going to settle for less.” So when he saw the final package from the three-team deal with San Antonio and Chicago, he pulled the trigger.
But how did we get here? Fox was supposed to be the cornerstone piece to flipping the franchise around. Huerter was a part of the original “Beam Team” who played a pivotal role in snapping the 17-year playoff drought. Mike Brown was the one who led them there.
Now, in the midst of an already turbulent season, all three are gone.
“I think obviously the season hasn't gone as we all hoped,” McNair said. “That's part of it. At the same time, we did explore ways to have De’Aaron stay here, and it was made clear that wasn't going to happen. So we moved on.
“ … I think following the ‘23 season, we had hopes that the core could continue to ascend. Obviously, at this point, we’ve gone in a different direction.”
That direction now is with LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk.
McNair acknowledged there still is work to be done before the trade deadline, which is about 24 hours away, and the pressure is at an all-time high following league-shattering moves already being made in the Western Conference.
When asked to evaluate his job thus far, McNair shared an open-ended reply.
“From where we started to where we are, I think we've had a lot of success,” McNair said. “We're in our third straight winning season after, whatever it was, 16 [seasons] without. At the same time, yeah, we haven't won enough for our expectations as they've gone up following our playoff year. And ultimately that all falls on me.
“So, I'm tasked with getting us to the playoffs, and that's what I keep trying to do, up to you guys how good that's been.”
Perhaps we’ll have to wait and see how things shake out over the next few hours. But it’s clear that a new era of Kings basketball is on the horizon.