The hoop community has been buzzing ever since De’Aaron Fox became available on the trade block. Of course, many franchises could use his talent to make an instant leap to title contention. The Lakers are one of those teams. However, veteran insider Shams Charania recently reported, “I’m told the Lakers are not part of that destination of choice for De’Aaron Fox, potentially.” Yes, the All-Star guard seems to have no interest in moving to LA. But why?
Turns out, it might be because of Rob Pelinka’s reluctance to trade Austin Reaves! As per insider Jake Fischer, “Among the reasons why the Lakers are not Fox’s preferred destination… Klutch knows, as sources tell The Stein Line, that the Lakers have zero intention of parting with Sacramento’s presumed top target in any Fox discussions: Austin Reaves.”
Obviously, Klutch Sports has strong ties with the LA franchise because they also represent LeBron James and Anthony Davis. And it is believed the Kings would have wanted a trade package involving AR in exchange for their superstar guard. However, Reaves has become a key part of the roster and is their most consistent player after LBJ and AD. Showing tremendous growth each season, he has upped his averages to 18.2 points and over six assists. And he is a major reason the team is ranked fifth in the West standings.
The Lakers would have had zero interest in trading Austin Reaves for De’Aaron Fox, per @JakeLFischer
“Among the reasons why the Lakers are not Fox’s preferred destination: Klutch has direct knowledge of many Lakers dealings thanks to its representation of LeBron James and… pic.twitter.com/NPMEt8VZea
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 31, 2025
Moreover, Reaves seems to be the key part of JJ Redick’s long-term plan. During a recent interview, Anthony Davis revealed, “He (JJ) actually told us a couple of days ago, that it’s on me, Bron, and AR to get everybody involved right.” So, it makes sense why the Lakers do not want to trade Austin even if it leads to missing out on a star like De’Aaron. Meanwhile, Fox’s situation in Sacramento might be more complex than everyone initially expected!
Kings reportedly made the First Move to enter De’Aaron Fox in the Trade Market
Until now, many believed that Fox is on the trade block because he did not want to commit to the Kings for the long term, and he was the one who initiated the request. After all, it was he who left a three-year $166 million extension on the table last summer. However, latest reports tell a different story. As per Fischer, “It’s the Kings, according to the league sources, who first approached De’Aaron Fox’s Klutch Sports representation about putting the All-Star guard on the trade market with immediate effect. Sacramento sent word to some interested teams as early as last week that it was open to such overtures. That’s the flipped switch in Sactown.”
The Sacramento Kings were actually the first to approach De’Aaron Fox’s representatives about potentially putting him on the trade market, per @JakeLFischer
“It’s the Kings, according to the league sources, who first approached De’Aaron Fox’s Klutch Sports representation about… pic.twitter.com/GHUkp77ZQu
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 31, 2025
(Developing Story)
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