De’Aaron Fox initially didn’t want to leave the Sacramento Kings, as his agent Rich Paul revealed. Despite wanting to stay loyal to the team that drafted him, trade talks grew after Sacramento couldn’t sustain success. Fox was eventually traded to the San Antonio Spurs, where he has quickly become a key player alongside Victor Wembanyama.
San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox has made a smooth transition since being traded from the Sacramento Kings last February, but the move wasn’t something he wanted at first.
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Fox spent eight seasons with the Kings and had built a deep connection with the franchise.
He even wanted to stay loyal to the team that drafted him, as his agent Rich Paul revealed on the Game Over podcast.
"That was one of the things was, 'Rich, I really want to see this thing through here in Sacramento because they drafted me,'" Paul said.
Credit AP photo/ Mike Stewart
Fox led the Kings to the playoffs in 2023, their first appearance in 16 seasons, but the team couldn’t sustain that success. Trade talks started to grow louder, forcing Fox to consider his options.
"The writing was on the wall, but we handled it very professionally," Paul explained. "You still have to go out and play, and every situation is different. He trusted me to be able to present to him places that I thought made a lot of sense for him going forward in the future."
Paul noted that the Orlando Magic were also an attractive landing spot before the Spurs traded for him.
"Orlando, San Antonio, teams that really needed a point guard, but also had some key pieces that he would fit right in."
Since joining the Spurs, Fox has thrived. He averages 21.7 points, 5.8 assists, and shoots 36.5% from three.
He has quickly built chemistry with star forward Victor Wembanyama and guards Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, showing that he can flourish even after leaving the team he initially wanted to stay with.
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