When the Kings made the decision to release Mike Brown, it's unlikely they knew it would also cost them De'Aaron Fox. Hopefully, at least, because it was a huge loss.
Drafted in 2017 by the Kings, he was the face of the team until he left halfway through the 2024-2025 season. It was a tough change as he was part of the Kings' core and the team leader.
By default, Domantas Sabonis has filled that role to an extent, but it remains to be seen how much. The De'Aaron Fox hole in the Kings is a hard one to fill.
The Kings fumble Fox
De'Aaron Fox asking to be traded was a bit of a bombshell in the NBA last season. No one knew how unhappy he was with the franchise, though firing Mike Brown was apparently the icing on the cake.
It's hard to argue with Fox's decision. Brown had provided the first signs of direction for the Kings in years. He led them to the playoffs and was fired. Even worse, Fox isn't the first All-Star point guard the Kings have fumbled recently.
After drafting Fox in 2017, the Kings drafted Tyrese Haliburton in 2020. For a couple of seasons, they had two of the best young point guards in the game. Granted, the Kings traded Haliburton to the Pacers to get Domantas Sabonis, so that move didn't seem like a fumble then.
The Kings' next era
In light of losing Fox and seeing who Haliburton has become, letting Tyrese go seems like a mistake, now. Oddly enough, the Kings might have been better off keeping him and trading Fox.
As it stands, Dennis Schroeder is poised to be the Kings' starting point guard. While he has long been a success on a FIBA court, he has also had trouble finding that same success in the NBA. Even if he does take his NBA game up a notch, he's not likely to replace Fox in the fans' hearts.
It will be years before the Kings find a new soul for the team to rally around, even if it turns out to be a current player. The Kings aren't the Lakers. They aren't going to trip backwards into Luka Doncic and find the new face of the franchise for the next decade.