The De’Aaron Fox era in Sacramento has officially come to an end. Just two years ago, the Sacramento Kings prioritized Fox over Tyrese Haliburton, who is now a perennial All-Star, in exchange for Domantas Sabonis. Yet, after the results did not line up with his expectations, the speedster demanded a trade before the 2024-25 NBA trade deadline.
Fox’s wish was granted in a true league-altering move that could come to define the NBA for the next decade. Not only has it paired him with a generational prospect in Victor Wembanyama, but it’s also instantly given him a new lease with a true veteran point guard in Chris Paul as a mentor as well. Touching down in Texas, Fox gave his first interview to the media, offering his thoughts on the trade.
De’Aaron Fox Is Finally Where He Wanted To Be
When Fox first made his trade demand, the short list of teams that he wanted to work with had the San Antonio Spurs. With an already elite center in Wembanyama at the helm, it wasn’t hard to see why. But even before justifying his trade demand, Fox detailed how the news of the trade came to him.
Fox found out on Feb. 2, claiming, “I was sitting in my hotel room playing War Zone. That’s when I found out. I got the call from Vivek (Kings governor Vivek Ranadivé), Monty West, Paul Johnson. Everybody ended up coming into my room and we talked about it.”
De'Aaron Fox said he didn't hear about the trade being completed to SA until Feb. 2. "I was sitting in my hotel room playing War Zone. That's when I found out. I got the call from Vivek, Monty West, Paul Johnson. Everybody ended up coming into my room and we talked about it."
— Michael C. Wright (@mikecwright) February 5, 2025
But, unlike other happenings in the NBA, Fox to the Spurs wasn’t a complete shocker. He had made it clear that teaming up with Wembanyama and head coach Gregg Popovich was a priority for him.
Explaining his mindset, Fox added, “I think with the way that they’re built, with the athleticism, with the length that they have, and also the youth, I just felt like this could be a special team. And what Mike [Brown, former coach of the Kings] talked about when I was with him was, ‘To win, you have to be able to play defense.'”
“I felt like this could be a special team.”
De’Aaron Fox on why he wanted to be a San Antonio Spur. pic.twitter.com/65RrHLjybr
— Jacob Tobey (@JacobRTobey) February 5, 2025
During his run with the Kings, they have never been an elite defensive team. Some of it has to do with personnel, but in the Spurs, Fox is embracing a culture that has been built around defense for nearly four decades — since the days of David Robinson and Tim Duncan, to Kawhi Leonard, and now with Wembanyama.
In his rookie season, the 7-foot-4 center finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year race and is the favorite this season to take home the award. Fox alluded to his time in Sacramento and the lack of defense on those squads, including their 2023 NBA playoff appearance where they broke a 20-year postseason draught for the franchise.
“Even the year when we had the best offense in the league, I think we were 23rd or 24th defensively in the league. When you get to the playoffs, you really feel that. So, I think with the intangibles that everybody here has, I think this could be a really good team and obviously, you have someone very special back there.”
Of course, playing alongside someone who many predict could be on the short list of greatest players of all time has to be something to look out for. So, when the conversation shifted to last season’s Rookie of the Year, Fox was careful to not laud up all the attention on just one guy.
“It’s a very unique opportunity, not many guys come around like that. I think, not just him, but everybody else. I felt like the fit will be spectacular. I felt like I have a lot of years left to play, and so we’ll kind of expedite that process.”
A new era is about to begin for a San Antonio team that has always held a boring moniker to it, thanks to its grind-it-out, defensive style. It began with Wembanyama and the electric Stephon Castle, but now it might quickly jump to fifth gear with someone as explosive as Fox at the helm.
