According to a recent report, Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine would be open to a trade to the Sacramento Kings to join De’Aaron Fox.
As NBA trade season gets underway, the Chicago Bulls are going to be one of the main teams to watch. Despite their recent success, they should still be looking to reset the roster, led by a Zach LaVine trade, which is reportedly at the forefront of Chicago’s plans moving forward.
Recent reports have indicated LaVine’s desire to join the Los Angeles Lakers, but new information has revealed that he may be open to joining a different California team. Sam Amick of The Athletic wrote that LaVine would also be open to the idea of joining the Sacramento Kings in a trade.
He said the information stems from LaVine’s and De’Aaron Fox both being represented by Klutch Sports.
“For all the public focus on the prospect of James and Davis teaming up with LaVine with the Lakers, the overlooked part is that Kings star De’Aaron Fox is a major priority for Klutch Sports these days as well,” Amick wrote. “Per league sources, LaVine would be very amenable to a Sacramento move that would make him Fox’s backcourt mate.”
Fox has been playing at an MVP level this season, and the Kings are looking to build on the success they had last season. Adding a guy like LaVine could help take their offense to another level and give them another go-to scorer come playoff time.
In order to match LaVine’s salary, however, the Kings would have to include at least two of Harrison Barnes, Kevin Huerter, Malik Monk, and Trey Lyles, and Chicago would almost certainly want draft capital back in return as well.
De’Aaron Fox talks about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, his growth to superstardom.
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s 128-123 loss to the Sacramento Kings was headlined by the All-Star duel between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and De’Aaron Fox.
Both guards are in the midst of one of their best seasons. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31 points on 54.6% shooting, and Fox is averaging 30.1 points on 47.5% shooting.
The two All-Stars didn’t disappoint; each erupted for 40-plus points. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 43 points on 13-of-27 shooting, and Fox finished with 41 points on 14-of-25 shooting.
The similarities between Gilgeous-Alexander and Fox don’t end there. Both attended Kentucky in college before entering the NBA.
Fox had a much more traditional path to superstardom. He was the best player on Kentucky from the get-go. He was drafted with the No. 5 pick in 2017.
The following year, Gilgeous-Alexander worked his way from a bench player to a starter in Kentucky in his sole college season. His rise was enough to get drafted with the No. 11 pick in 2018.
When asked about their relationship, Fox retold a story from when he visited Kentucky in his rookie season and said Gilgeous-Alexander was going to be better than anticipated:
“I wouldn’t say (we’re) super close but we talk here and there.
“It’s funny, whenever we went back — me, Bam (Adebayo) and Malik (Monk) actually went back after we got drafted. And the guys were there and Shai was kinda the — not necessarily unknown guy — but I don’t think he was a McDonald’s All-American. They had a couple and I think he was the lowest-ranked guy — I think he was top 50 or whatever — but he was like the lowest ranked out of all the guys.
“We go and we play pickup, I’m like, ‘Yo, I think he’s going to be the best player on the team.’ I truly believed that at the time. Midway through the season, he ends up taking the starting spot and now he’s an MVP candidate.
“Just what I saw from him back then and just his poise, the way he plays, his length, obviously he’s a lot stronger than he was at the time. He just continued to grow and we’re throwing hits at him, blitzes, just trying to get the ball out of his hands.
“Being that tall, being that crafty, being that strong, that’s a tough cover for any team. Obviously, he averaged 30 (points) last year for a reason.
“That team has done nothing but put the right pieces around him. They’ve gotten better and he’s still doing what he does. Just a lot of credit to what he’s becoming.”
This is a pretty strong endorsement for Gilgeous-Alexander from one of his peers. As he continues to rise to an MVP candidate, it’s evident how much respect the 25-year-old’s garnered for his development from other stars around the league.
With Kings star De’Aaron Fox sidelined by an ankle injury, the #Rockets will look to make it two in a row when Sacramento visits Houston on Saturday night.
Courtesy of Wednesday’s win over Charlotte, the Rockets (1-3) are off the schneid in the NBA’s 2023-24 regular season. Now, as the Sacramento Kings (2-2) visit Toyota Center on Saturday and Monday, the question is whether Houston can turn it into a winning streak.
For Fred VanVleet and the resurgent Rockets, Saturday’s matchup is the third of a season-long homestand of seven games in length.
On paper, an opponent that finished third in the Western Conference in the 2022-23 regular season might appear daunting for a Houston group that remains in somewhat of a rebuilding phase after finishing the last three seasons with the West’s worst record.
But the Rockets suddenly have a much greater veteran presence between VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Jeff Green, and the Kings are without All-Star guard and Houston native De’Aaron Fox due to an ankle injury. The Rockets will be without Amen Thompson after he suffered his own ankle injury, though the rookie guard is nowhere near as critical to Houston’s winning formula as Fox is to the Kings.
Jaylen Brown won’t have the NBA’s richest contract for long.
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Jaylen Brown won’t be mistaken for the NBA’s best player anytime soon, but he will hold the title of the league’s richest contract … at least for a little while.
Brown signed a five-year supermax extension Wednesday with the Boston Celtics that will reportedly pay him up to $304 million, which is the richest contract in NBA history. But if you’re thinking Boston is paying too much for a player who’s made just one All-NBA team in his career, think again.
As FTW’s Mike Sykes explained, this is simply the way things are trending in the NBA. Revenue continues to increase, which means salary caps are up and player contracts are bigger. If the Celtics wanted to continue contending, this is the deal they had to give Brown. The next supermax eligible player will likely make more. Before Brown, Nikola Jokic signed the NBA’s previous richest contract of $264 million just last year.
So, which player is next in line?
First, it’s important to understand the type of extension Brown signed. It was the designated veteran extension, which can start at up to 35% of the salary cap after a player reaches seven to nine years of service for the team he started his career with and hits certain All-NBA or award benchmarks. Players also have to be in the final year or two of their current deals to be eligible.
Next summer, the player who almost certainly will get that deal is Brown’s teammate Jayson Tatum. He’s the most likely player to eclipse Brown’s record deal, though past All-Stars and borderline All-Stars who could also qualify with a big 2023-24 season include De’Aaron Fox, Bam Adebayo, Jamal Murray, Brandon Ingram and Pascal Siakam.
First, though, they have to ball out on the court, which is what Brown did to earn second-team All-NBA last season. That’s how he became the NBA’s highest-paid player.
The Tip-Off
Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.
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The basketball world paused Tuesday after news that Bronny James, the eldest son of LeBron James, suffered cardiac arrest while practicing at USC.
Though a family spokesperson said Bronny was in stable condition and out of the ICU, it’s never easy to hear about a young person dealing with heart issues, especially after what we all witnessed with Damar Hamlin.
Bronny was in a position to blossom, man. He was going to USC to play basketball and live his dream. He has aspirations of going to the NBA and playing at the highest level. He was in the middle of forging his own path just like his father did before him.
Then, this happens. All of that is just put on pause at the very least until this gets figured out. We don’t know how this will turn out. We don’t know if he’ll be able to play this season. We don’t know how his plans have been disrupted.
Instead of recognizing that and showing a bit of empathy, Musk and others immediately moved to insert themselves into a situation that doesn’t call for it. At the very least, this is irresponsible behavior. At the very worst, it’s downright ghoulish.
Draymond Green had high praise for De’Aaron Fox after the Warriors’ opening round playoff series against the Kings.
At times, it looked like De’Aaron Fox was the best player on the floor in the first-round playoff series between the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings. With the Warriors having no answer for Fox, the Kings’ point guard took over at times, especially down the stretch in the fourth quarter.
Despite dropping the series to the Warriors with a loss at home in Game 7, Fox earned the respect of Draymond Green in his first playoff series. After Game 7 on Sunday, the four-time champion praised Fox, saying he was honored to compete against the Kings All-Star guard.
I just paid my respect. I’ve been in a lot of playoff series against a lot of different guys. And if I’m honest, you leave most with less respect for a lot of guys. Whether it’s how they act in the moment — how they step up to the pressure. I’ve lost a lot of respect for guys over the years in the playoffs. And then there’s some you gain respect for. There’s some you see and you know they’re cut from that same cloth you feel like you’re cut from and Fox is one of those guys.
Fox showed why he earned the NBA’s new Clutch Player of the Year award with a pair of 38-point performances. On the way to pushing the Warriors to a seven-game series, Fox averaged 27.4 points on 42.4% shooting from the field with 7.7 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals in 38.5 minutes per game.
Along with earning his first trip to the All-Star game. Fox helped lead the Kings to the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference with a 48-34 record. In his sixth season in the NBA, the former Kentucky Wildcats guard averaged 25 points on 51.2% shooting from the field with 6.1 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game.
Despite his finger injury, De’Aaron Fox is available for Game 5 on Wednesday night against the Warriors at Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center.
The Sacramento Kings won’t be missing their All-Star guard in the backcourt on Wednesday for Game 5 against the Golden State Warriors at Golden 1 Center.
After initial reports indicated De’Aaron Fox would be doubtful for Game 5 against the Warriors due to a fractured index finger on his shooting hand, the former Kentucky guard will be available on Wednesday night.
Despite injuring his finger late in the Kings’ Game 4 loss, Fox is coming off a game-high 38 points against the Warriors. During his first appearance in the playoffs, Fox is averaging a scorching 31.5 points on 44.7% shooting from the field with seven dimes, six rebounds and 2.5 steals in 38.5 minutes per game through the first four games of the series.
The Warriors and Kings will meet for Game 5 on Wednesday night in Sacramento at 7 p.m. PT.
The Kings All-Star guard is being listed as questionable for Game 5 against the Warriors on Wednesday.
After initial reports circulated regarding De’Aaron Fox fracturing his left index finger in Game 4, the guard was listed as doubtful for Game 5 on Wednesday.
Fox has been a key piece of the Kings’ success against the Warriors early in the series. Despite the Kings’ loss in Game 4, Fox notched a game-high 38 points. Through the first four games, the first-time All-Star guard is averaging 31.5 points on 44.7% shooting from the floor with seven assists, six boards and 2.5 steals in 38.5 minutes per game.
The Warriors and Kings will tip off Game 5 on Wednesday night in Sacramento at 7 p.m. PT.
Yet, with the series locked at 2-2, Fox isn’t planning on sitting on the sidelines for Game 5 at Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center.
At practice on Tuesday, the former Kentucky Wildcat guard told reporters he will play on Wednesday despite his injured finger. Fox said he’s “99, 100 percent” going to play in Game 5.
De’Aaron Fox on the practice court when it opens to reporters. In a practice jersey. Shoots some free throws with his left hand at end of this clip. All encouraging signs on his Game 5 availability. pic.twitter.com/AvX8RvoPfU
The recent NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year award winner is coming off another impressive performance in his first career playoff series. Fox notched a game-high 38 points on 14-of-31 shooting from the field with nine boards and five dimes in the Kings’ Game 4 loss at Chase Center.
During the opening round, Fox has fueled Sacramento, averaging 31.5 points on 44.7% shooting from the field with seven assists, six rebounds and 2.5 steals in 38.5 minutes per game.
The Warriors will travel back to Sacramento for Game 5 against the Kings at 7 p.m. PT on Wednesday at Golden 1 Center.
The Kings All-Star guard reportedly fractured the tip of his finger on his shooting hand in Game 4 and is doubtful for Game 5 on Wednesday.
With the series tied at 2-2, the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings will head back to Golden 1 Center on Wednesday for Game 5. Before Game 5 tips off on Wednesday in Sacramento, the Kings were reportedly dealt a major blow to a key piece in the starting lineup.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Kings All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox suffered a fractured index finger on his left shooting hand. Fox is expected to be listed as doubtful for Game 5 against the Warriors on Wednesday, per Charania.
Sacramento Kings star De'Aaron Fox has suffered a fractured index finger in his left shooting hand, sources tell @TheAthletic@Stadium. Fox is expected to be listed doubtful to play in Game 5 vs. Warriors.
In a tweet shared by Anthony Slater of the Athletic, Fox appeared to injure his finger during the closing run of the fourth quarter in the Kings’ Game 4 loss to the Warriors on Sunday. Fox’s hand comes into contact with Kevon Looney on a layup attempt in the final frame of Sunday’s contest.
This appears to be the play that De'Aaron Fox fractured his left index finger in the middle of the fourth quarter yesterday. On a floater after the whistle. Looks like it clips Kevon Looney's hand. First time you see him clutch at it. pic.twitter.com/0Ip5YWbw8g
Fox is coming off another sizzling performance in his first appearance in the playoffs. In Game 4, Fox tallied a game-high 38 points on 14-of-31 shooting from the floor with nine rebounds and five assists.
In four playoff games, Fox is averaging 31.5 points on 44.7% shooting from the field with seven assists, six rebounds and 2.5 steals in 38.5 minutes per game.
If Fox can’t go in Game 5, the Kings will lean on Davion Mitchell and Malik Monk in the backcourt alongside Kevin Huerter.
The Kings will host the Warriors for Game 5 on Wednesday at 7 p.m. PT at Golden 1 Center.
You’re going to go a long time before you find a better basketball game this season than the one the Kings and Clippers played on Friday night.
This was absolutely the best basketball game of the year and it will probably remain that throughout the rest of the season — playoffs included. It’s absolutely nuts how wild this game got.
The Kings won outright, 176-175. And, yes, that score is wild. But it doesn’t even begin to paint the picture of how crazy this game got.
I know most of you missed this because, well, you have a life. The game didn’t end until about 1:30 a.m. on the East Coast. Y’all had Saturday plans, obviously.
But yerboi watched the whole thing to hold it down for you. Let’s just come through a few stats to show you exactly how wild this thing got.
