In 2022, the Sacramento Kings chose De'Aaron Fox as their franchise cornerstone, trading Tyrese Haliburton away in the deal that netted them Domantas Sabonis. Three years later, Fox chose to seek greener pastures, requesting a trade to the San Antonio Spurs as he nears the end of his current contract. And the Kings granted Fox his wish, although since then, the 27-year-old star guard hasn't exactly maintained a good relationship with the fanbase of his former team.
On Friday night, Fox returned to Golden 1 Center, his old Kings stomping grounds, for the first time as a member of the Spurs. And as beloved as Fox is in some circles of the Kings' fanbase, some have not taken too kindly to the way his tenure with the franchise ended, hence the mixed reactions during his introduction.
Expand Tweet
Fox, of course, has his fair share of built-up resentment towards the Kings organization. It seemed like he was only pushed over the edge during the time the franchise fired former head coach Mike Brown, leaving Fox to dry in an interview that didn't exactly shield him from criticism.
A parting of ways between Fox and the Kings seemed inevitable, especially with the 2023 Clutch Player of the Year being so open with the way he looked up to Brown, the coach who led Sacramento to its first playoff appearance in 17 years.
In the end, Fox only set his sights towards landing with the Spurs. Understandably, he sees a bright future in San Antonio, with a budding powerhouse in the works especially as the team's young prospects blossom even further with age. While Fox secured a brighter long-term future with his Spurs move, the Kings would, at the very least, want to show him what he's missing, at least for one night.
Related Sacramento Kings NewsArticle continues below
Kings to remain semi-competitive while Spurs' contending dreams are on hold
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) and guard De'Aaron Fox (4) react during the second quarter against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena.
Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
The Kings did not prioritize getting young prospects or plenty of draft capital in the De'Aaron Fox trade. They sought to remain semi-competitive, acquiring Zach LaVine as the centerpiece in the deal. And it looks like they are on their way to making it to the play-in tournament, as they have a 32-29 record heading into their Friday night battle against the Spurs.
Meanwhile, the Spurs' contending dreams are put on hold at the moment by the season-ending injury that Victor Wembanyama sustained. Fox, however, won't be fretting anything, as he put his long-term contending ambitions first over a potential short-term postseason run with the Kings that may not make it past the play-in tournament.