NBA Trade Grades: De'Aaron Fox heading to San Antonio, Zach LaVine to Sacramento in blockbuster
By Quinn Everts
Well, at least we kind of saw this one coming. De'Aaron Fox has been traded to the San Antonio Spurs as part of a three-team deal that will send Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
Sacramento will also receive Sidy Cissoko, three first-round picks, and three second-round picks.
San Antonio will recieve Jordan McLaughlin, and Chicago gets Zach Collins, Tre Jones, Kevin Huerter and their own 2025 pick back from the Spurs.
Full trade:
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 3, 2025
Spurs: De'Aaron Fox, Jordan McLaughlin
Kings: Zach LaVine, Sidy Cissoko, three first round picks (2025 CHA, 2027 SAS, 2031 MIN), three second round picks (2025 CHI, 2028 DEN, 2028 own back)
Bulls: Zach Collins, Tre Jones, Kevin Huerter, their own 2025 pick via SAS https://t.co/UgwylCUYAO
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Fox teams up with Wemby, Bulls finally deal LaVine
San Antonio now has a vicious duo of De'Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama; while that doesn't likely make them a championship contender yet this season with roster holes elsewhere, it provides two cornerstones the team can build around for the next decade. Wemby has a co-star for the first time in his NBA career.
They also managed to make this deal without giving up... pretty much any of their young core. Chicago giving up LaVine in the deal allowed San Antonio to keep Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan and Stephon Castle. This is an incredible trade for San Antonio.
I can't lie though; I like the return for Sacramento here! LaVine is having a splendid season and has become oddly underrated league-wide. To get a borderline All-Star plus three first-rounders is a respectable haul on quick turnaround after your star player asked out. Not getting any of the Spurs young guys hurts a bit, but San Antonio had all the leverage here. It's tough to barter when the other party knows you kind of have to make the deal.
And for Chicago... whatever, kinda. A LaVine trade was long overdue and I doubt Bulls fans will be thrilled with three bench players and their own pick back, but the package was never going to be thrilling. Getting that pick back (a lottery ticket for the 2025 NBA Draft, in essence) is the most important part of this deal for the Bulls, and as clear a sign we've seen from this franchise that a tank is actually, really coming.
San Antonio got the best player in the trade; they're the winners. Sacramento got a good haul, but they did still lose De'Aaron Fox so their mark can't be that high. And Chicago made a trade that should have been made long ago... but it's not a disaster of an outcome.
Who's getting dealt tomorrow? I'm running out of ink to grade all these.