When looking at the Sacramento Kings' misfortunes over the past year, it all started with two critical mistakes. Number one was firing head coach Mike Brown and the second was trading De'Aaron Fox. But the Kings' former point guard is doing much better, and real success is looming over him.
De’Aaron Fox on the Kings:
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) December 15, 2025
“I don’t really have anything to say. It is what it is… The grass is greener on this side.”
(via @MarcJSpears) pic.twitter.com/5iicYfe5vi
It's a quote that pretty much says it all. Fox left behind a dysfunctional, bottom-dwelling franchise in Sacramento to play with a true contender in San Antonio that has the two most recent Rookies of the Year. The grass is definitely greener when you're playing on the Spurs.
The worst part is that it didn't even take that long. While Fox fought his way through injury issues last season that bled into 2025-2026, he's now on the court and helping lead the Spurs. When Victor Wembanyama was out injured for several games, it was Fox who kept San Antonio moving forward.
Now, the Spurs have even managed to take down OKC in the semifinals of the NBA Cup, handing the Thunder their second loss of the season. This team is fourth in an incredibly stacked Western Conference, and is likely postseason bound. The Kings are on a much different path.
The Kings' continue to to struggle without Fox
When Fox left the Kings after seven and a half years, there wasn't much question as to why. The franchise is in terrible shape, and had gone through several head coaches. The firing of Mike Brown was the absolute last straw for Fox, who wanted to compete for a championship.
Fox continues to move in that direction with the Spurs while the Kings continue to decline. They are one of the worst teams in the league and are at the bottom of virtually every relevant stat category. At least with the combination of Fox and Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento had a fighting chance.
It's impossible to know if Fox could have been convinced to stay or not. Again, the Mike Brown situation was likely the period on a sentence that had already been written for him. Considering how poorly the Doug Christie era is going, Fox was smart to call it last season.
Keeping in mind that the Spurs will have to go through the Lakers, the Nuggets, and the Thunder to get there, it wouldn't be a shock to see San Antonio in the NBA Finals as early as this season. It's a path De'Aaron Fox never would have gotten to walk if he had stayed with the Kings.