It’s shaping up to be an emotional night at Golden 1 Center on Friday as De’Aaron Fox returns to Sacramento.
Fox, whose eight-year tenure with the Sacramento Kings ended in February after a trade sent the All-Star guard to San Antonio, departed from the organization that drafted him in 2017 on a somewhat sour note.
Starting with the firing of former head coach Mike Brown earlier this season, Fox’s relationship with the Kings organization took a turn for the worse in recent months, opting for the guard and his representation–NBA super-agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports–to start contemplating other situations for Fox’s next stop.
While Fox did not request a trade out of Sacramento, it was known that the guard would turn down extension offers following the team’s decision to move on from Brown, who Fox was fond of. After the organization failed to conduct a press conference following the sudden firing of Brown, the coach who led the Kings to their first NBA Playoff appearance in nearly 20 years, that was the end of the line for Fox’s time in Sacramento.
“I was like, ‘Yo, I’ve been here for going on my eighth year. If Mike gets fired, I’ll be going on my fifth coach,'” Fox told ESPN’s Michael C. Wright. “And I told them, ‘I’m not going to play for another coach. I’m going to play for another team.'”
How Mike Brown’s firing ended De’Aaron Fox’s time with the Kings – ESPN https://t.co/qqulMnxeRf
— Michael C. Wright (@mikecwright) March 7, 2025
In the weeks following Brown’s dismissal from his post with the Kings, whispers circulated that some players had soured on the 2022-23 NBA Coach of the Year.
Excessive practice days, differing opinions in game plans, and lack of playing time damaged Brown’s reputation among some players. Fox, who was viewed by some as the reason Brown was fired, was not one of those players.
“During Mike’s extension talks [in May], some guys in the locker room didn’t want Mike,” Fox said to Wright. “Some guys wanted him to be fired during the summer. … But I’m not going to say [who].”
On one side of the coin, a fresh start for Fox and the Kings made sense. How things unfolded, however, could have been avoided.
Leading into Friday’s game at Golden 1 Center, the conversation has shifted away from an important Western Conference matchup to Fox’s reception. Will he be booed like some former players like Spencer Hawes, Buddy Hield, and Rudy Gay (which, in this writer’s opinion, didn’t make sense)?
Or will he receive an ovation like Tyrese Haliburton, who displayed love for Sacramento during his brief stint here, and Harrison Barnes, who got a loud response from Kings fans earlier this season?
Nice tribute from the Kings and ovation from the crowd as Harrison Barnes makes his return to Golden 1 Center: pic.twitter.com/kgLAckhrz8
— Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) December 2, 2024
Fox’s departure wasn’t about the fans or the city, and he continues to make that clear.
“I loved it,” Fox said of Sacramento in his interview with Wright. “Everybody bled purple. It was always great just going to the grocery store, going out to a restaurant. Everybody there was extremely kind. And when we started winning, then it was ‘light the beam’ everywhere. You really felt it around the city. So, it was definitely a great place to be for as long as I was.”
“I truly wanted to play for one team my whole career. I really did.”
Read the entire interview with Fox and Wright by clicking here.
More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports
The Sacramento Kings are navigating a challenging portion of their regular season schedule, and they will be without two key pieces–All-NBA center Domantas Sabonis and starting guard Malik Monk–to begin a big weekend that could affect their place in the standings.
With Sabonis still nursing a left hamstring strain, the Kings have announced that Monk (right toe sprain) will miss Friday’s game against old friend De’Aaron Fox and the San Antonio Spurs.
Monk, who suffered the injury during Sacramento’s win in Dallas on Monday night and missed the Kings’ most recent game in Denver on Wednesday, is considered day-to-day.
Since becoming a starter 39 games ago, Monk is averaging 18.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.
Kings guard Malik Monk (toe sprain) considered day-to-day
Upcoming schedule for the 2024-25 Sacramento Kings
Friday, March 7th – vs. San Antonio Spurs – 7:00 PM PT
Sunday, March 9th – @ Los Angeles Clippers – 6:30 PM PT
Monday, March 10th – vs. New York Knicks – 7:30 PM PT
Thursday, March 13th – @ Golden State Warriors – 7:00 PM PT
Friday, March 14th – @ Phoenix Suns – 7:00 PM PT
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