The Whiteboard: 5 De’Aaron Fox trade ideas that are just crazy enough to work
By Wes Goldberg
The NBA trade deadline is just more than a week away and, folks, it’s officially silly season. While the basketball world was watching the drama in Miami unfold, the Sacramento Kings lured trade machine enthusiasts everywhere with the news that they are open to listening to offers for De’Aaron Fox.
Fox has a preferred destination, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. It’s widely believed that that destination is the San Antonio Spurs. But that won’t stop other teams across the league from jumping into trade talks.
It’s also unclear, as of now, if the Spurs want to make a dramatic trade for Fox midseason. Other teams might be more motivated to shake things up between now and Feb. 6. Because we’re in the thick of silly season, we can expect some surprises. Here are five trades that may seem crazy at first, but might be crazy enough to work.
De’Aaron Fox to Dallas
What if, instead of San Antonio, Fox heads to a different Texas-based team?
The Dallas Mavericks under GM Nico Harrison have a track record of moving boldly around this part of the calendar. Their deadline deals last year propelled them to the NBA Finals and, the year before that, they traded for Kyrie Irving when nobody else would.
There’s no question that the Irving and Luka Doncic partnership has been a fruitful one, but it’s fair to wonder how much runway it has. Irving will be 33 in March and has a player option for this offseason. Will the Mavs pay top dollar to keep Irving in Dallas late into his 30s? Or will they pivot to somebody closer to Doncic’s timeline? Doncic is 25. Fox is 27.
The Mavericks can offer a framework of Irving, a 2025 first and a 2031 first for Fox (with other salary having to move for matching purposes). The Kings would get a star that can help them compete and a pair of picks, but neither projects to be very valuable. This might not be enough for Sacramento, but it would be quite the forward-looking gambit by Dallas to extend the Doncic window.
De'Aaron Fox to Toronto
The Raptors are looking to add to their next “significant piece” to Scottie Barnes, according to Sportsnet’s Michael Grange. Fox makes a ton of sense as an offensive-leaning ball-handler.
Toronto owns all its own picks, plus has a first-rounder coming from Indiana in 2026 and a 2025 second-round pick from Portland that projects to land in the top 40. Can the Raptors entice the Kings with a package of Immanuel Quickly (under contract through 2028) and a bounty of picks?
De' Aaron Fox to Utah
At some point, the Jazz have to do something other than lose games on purpose, right?
Fox and Lauri Markkanen are the same age. There’s an obvious on-court fit and multiple ways to build out a deal that can jumpstart Sacramento’s revamp. There’s no guarantee that Fox would re-sign in Utah (and Klutch can certainly threaten not to do so), but it’s not as if Fox is against playing in a smaller market (he reportedly wants to go to San Antonio, after all.)
This could be Utah’s version of the Cavaliers trading for Donovan Mitchell. If the Jazz can acquire Fox and convince him over the next year-and-a-half that they are turning the corner and of Will Hardy’s coaching, there’s a chance they could land their next star.
The Jazz have a ton of draft assets, including two first-round picks in each of the next three drafts and the valuable 2031 pick from Phoenix. They also have contracts and young players to meet Sacramento’s needs. For example, they could trade John Collins, Collin Sexton, Keyonte George and three first-round picks over the next three drafts to Sacramento for Fox and Kevin Huerter.
De'Aaron Fox to Phoenix
They would deny it — and they should — but why wouldn’t the Phoenix Suns at least call Sacramento and ask about a Kevin Durant for De’Aaron Fox swap?
The Kings might not be interested. Durant is 36 and will be a free agent in 2026. Trading away the face of the franchise for an aging star who is a safe bet to walk away might not be good business … but, then again, this is the Kings. Would they really say no to Kevin Freaking Durant?
As for the Suns, their hopes of acquiring Jimmy Butler might be fading and a pivot might be on the horizon. Swapping Durant for Fox realigns the timeline around a Fox-and-Devin Booker backcourt. There are fascinating scenarios that send Fox and DeRozan to Phoenix and Durant and multiple first-round picks to Sacramento.
Phoenix gets: Fox, DeRozan, Gary Harris
Sacramento gets: Durant, Cory Joseph
Orlando gets: Grayson Allen, Jordan McLaughlin
Fox to Los Angeles, but not the Lakers
OK, let me start with the trade idea. It’s a wild one.
Clippers get: De’Aaron Fox, DeMar DeRozan, Kevin Huerter, Trey Lyles
Kings get: Kawhi Leonard and James Harden
The Clippers are fun! They’re surprisingly sixth in the West and getting Kawhi back. The decision to let Paul George walk and fill out the roster with good role players is working out. But, like, does anyone – including in Los Angeles – care? You can’t convince me that Clippers fans are excited to watch Harden and (occasionally) Kawhi for the next two-plus years. The novelty effect of The Wall will fade.
Instead, the Clippers can look toward the future and acquire their next star while pulling the ripcord on the Kawhi Leonard era. Fox gives the Clippers a player to build around, and he brings LA-hero DeMar DeRozan with him.
Sending Kawhi and Harden to Sacramento would make the Kings better in the short-term – not a bad outcome for a team that went nearly two decades without a playoff berth. Harden, Malik Monk, Leonard, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis isn’t a bad lineup!
Subscribe to The Whiteboard, FanSided’s daily email newsletter on everything basketball. If you like The Whiteboard, share it with a friend! If you don’t like it, share it with an enemy! (edited)
NBA news and rumors roundup
- Anthony Davis exited early in the Lakers’ loss to the 76ers on Tuesday night with an abdominal muscle strain and did not return. Davis did not speak to reporters after the game. When asked about his teammate’s status moving forward, LeBron James told reporters, "I think he'll be fine."
- Paul George suffered tendon damage to the pinkie finger on his non-shooting left hand and will be evaluated in the coming days, the 76ers announced Tuesday. Sixers coach Nick Nurse indicated to reporters that the injury isn’t major and George is considered day-to-day.
- The Golden State Warriors will retire Andre Iguodala’s No. 9 jersey on Feb. 23. That just happens to be the night when Klay Thompson’s Dallas Mavericks are in town, allowing Thompson to attend.
- Miami Heat president Pat Riley owns half a dozen trademarks related to the phrase "three-peat.” According to NPR, Riley could make millions by licensing the trademark for items such as shirts, hats and posters if the Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl 59.
The NBA's second-bests
We usually know which teams and players are the best at something. Those stats are cited all the time. But the second-best isn’t talked about nearly as much. Here are the second-bests in some key stats so far this season.
- Offensive rating: New York Knicks (119.6)
- Defensive rating: LA Clippers (107.4)
- Second-chance points: Charlotte Hornets (17.1)
- Fastbreak points: Houston Rockets (18.7)
- Points in the restricted area: Toronto Raptors (19.5)
- Rebounds per game: Karl-Anthony Towns
- Steals: Dejounte Murray (2.2, behind Dyson Daniels’ 3.1. Interesting!)
feed