According to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, the Sacramento Kings were the ones who brought up opening trade talks surrounding De’Aaron Fox. Fox did not have any intentions of requesting a trade.

With the option of being traded on the table now, Fox would have preferred to handle this matter in the offseason. The main reason is that more teams would have been interested in the talented guard.

Right now, teams don’t have as many assets to trade for him as they would in the offseason.

Rumors were circulating that Fox opted not to extend with Sacramento because he was unhappy or wanted to see if they could succeed. Neither was the prevailing case, as he declined the contract to bet on himself to make an All-NBA team to become supermax eligible.

The supermax contract would have guaranteed a lasting relationship with the Kings, as that was the superstar’s intention. However, he is no longer interested in remaining with the team after they decided to move on from him.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Sacramento Kings have made the mind-blowing move to put De’Andre Fox up on the trade block to listen to offers before the trade deadline.

While several teams are knocking on their door, Fox already has a team in mind. Reportedly, he’s had a team in mind for a while ahead of his free agency in 2026.

Before the start of the season, the 27-year-old declined a three-year, $165 million extension he wanted to “win.”

Fox is already ruling out teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and wanting teams like the San Antonio Spurs. Fans have fantasized about him and Victor Wembanyama for the longest time.

The superstar averages 25.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.2 assists in 37.2 minutes. He’s played 43 games this season.

According to Lou Williams, while appearing on Fan Duel’s ‘Run It Back TV’ show, head coach Mike Brown wanted DeMar DeRozan to come off the bench.

This revelation comes after reports said there was tension in the locker room and disputes surrounding player’s roles. Fans were caught off guard by Williams’ bombshell.

“I was even hearing whispers that there was a situation where he might have asked, you know, or suggested that even DeMar DeRozan come off the bench, and those things proved to be severe missteps in an already challenging season, where it put the front office in a position where they had to side with either the all-star talent they had or depart ways with their former coach of the year who had a brand-new three-year extension.”

It went beyond Brown’s new role for DeRozan; many didn’t like how he handled De’Aaron Fox and constantly called him out for his failures.

“You know, so I’m hearing there was just some pushback from how De’Aaron Fox was continuously being singled out, you know, whether it was publicly or behind the scenes, where the players just didn’t agree with that sentiment.”

In the end, DeRozan has never been considered a bench player, which is why the players and he took issue with it. Before Brown’s firing, the team was 13-18.