Heading into Christmas, the Sacramento Kings are 12-17, losers of their last four (and 11 of their last 16 overall), and 12th in the Western Conference. All this is to say that the team is nowhere near where they'd hope to be after their busy 2024 offseason.
The Kings' lackluster start has caused some rumors to circulate about the Kings' start point guard, De'Aaron Fox, and whether the All-Star is still happy with his current employer.
At the end of the day, regardless of what Fox wants, the Kings are the ones who decide his fate. You know, because they have him under contract. However, it would behoove them to make their decision on the matter sooner rather than later.
Why the Sacramento Kings need to decide on De'Aaron Fox right now
The Kings need to decide whether they want to mend any stains on their relationship with Fox and continue to build around him and their current core or trade him and kickstart a rebuild. And they need to do it right now.
Why, you ask? While Fox is currently under contract right now, he won't be for long. According to Spotrac, Fox is in the fourth year of a five-year, 163-million dollar deal. So, Fox will be an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season. From there, he can decide if he wants to walk or re-sign with the Kings.
If the Kings want to avoid losing Fox for nothing, they need to trade him before the end of his contract. However, they can't wait until next season because a star on an expiring contract is far less valuable than one who still has 1.5 years left before their next negotiation.
Even if the Kings are confident they can re-sign Fox, it will likely be at a much steeper price than roughly 24% of the salary cap he eats up right now (if he makes an All-NBA team this season, he'll be eligible for a five-year, 345-million dollar extension). The more money Fox makes, the less valuable he'll be to a potential trade partner. At least, if the Kings trade him now, a team will get a year-and-a-half with Fox before they have to worry about his next big payday.
If the Kings decide they want to keep Fox, they will need to do so right now to give themselves the optimal amount of time to prepare for his next big contract. In a game where each team has limited resources, you need to make sure that you have enough flexibility to pay Fox what he wants and still field a strong roster around him.
This post isn't intended to tell the Kings what they should do. That's a different conversation for a different post. But it is a friendly reminder that the team needs to figure it out as soon as possible.