While the Sacramento Kings' former point guard has been gone from the team for less than a year, there's still a De'Aaron Fox-shaped hole in the team that needs to be filled. And he showed the entire league why the Kings are lost without him in his Christmas Day debut against the OKC Thunder.
DE’AARON FOX IN HIS CHRISTMAS DAY DEBUT:
— Bala (@BalaPattySZN) December 25, 2025
• 29 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST, 12/19 FG pic.twitter.com/gxCz3uB7Y0
There was a time not that long ago that the name De'Aaron Fox was synonymous with the Kings. He was drafted fifth overall by Sacramento in 2017. Under head coach Mike Brown, he and Domantas Sabonis led the Kings to their first playoff appearance in 16 years.
Fox spent seven and a half seasons with the Kings, becoming the face of the franchise. That all ended after Mike Brown was fired just after Christmas 2024. As a direct result of that move, Fox asked for a trade and ended up on the San Antonio Spurs alongside Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle.
After dealing with an injury that kept him on the bench for a chunk of 2024-2025 and 2025-2026, Fox is back on the court and proving his doubters wrong. The Spurs were the runners-up for the NBA Cup this season, and have now beaten the Thunder three times in three weeks. Fox is a major part of that.
The Kings continue to fall apart without Fox
It's impossible to say from the outside whether the Kings could have done anything to mollify Fox and keep him on the team. Given how things have panned out at the starting point guard position, they could definitely use him. It does seem like Brown's firing was the straw that broke the camel's back.
As the starting point guard, Fox has turned the Spurs into real contenders. They have a solid roster with good depth, not to mention the two most recent recipients of the Rookie of the Year Award. Plus, San Antonio is one of the most respected organizations in the NBA, largely thanks to Greg Popovich.
Sacramento has none of that. It's a revolving door of coaches and general managers who answer to ownership that seems to know less about basketball with each passing year. Fox was integral to the little they had going, and the Kings have still not figured out how to cope with his departure.
Every success De'Aaron Fox has with the Spurs proves how much being on the Kings held him back. He's in his ninth season, and this is the first time he's played on Christmas, a big deal in the NBA. This change in scenery was exactly what Fox needed to find his next level. Hopefully, the Kings can too.