Report: Fox’s agent met with Kings to discuss star’s future originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Kings have failed to consistently do the one thing De’Aaron Fox asked for help in determining his future in Sacramento: Winning.
That led to an early taping meeting between Fox agent Rich Paul, Kings general manager Monte McNair and assistant general manager Wes Wilcox on Thursday, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Anthony Slater.
The Kings took on the Los Angeles Lakers later in the evening, with whom Paul has two of his main clients, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But the reason for Paul’s visit had nothing to do with the Lakers’ star duo and everything to do with Sacramento’s rising superstar.
Paul met with McNair and Wilcox before the game, league sources told Amick and Slater, to discuss Fox’s troubled future with the Kings.
“The discussion, according to league and team sources, focused on a question that needs to be answered whether this partnership that began eight seasons ago between Fox and the Kings will continue long term :
“What is the plan here?“
Fox refused the Three-year, $165 million contract extension from Kings offer before the start of the 2024-25 NBA season to wait and see how Sacramento’s season ends. He wants to win at a high level, as he reaffirmed at the start of the week on “The Draymond Green Show.”
“It has everything to do with the team, the organization. Where are we going? I want to make sure we’re in a position to try to win in the future because that’s ultimately what I want to do,” Fox said on the podcast. “I feel like I continue to improve as a player every year, but for me the question is do we continue to improve year after year? And are we going to be able to compete at a high level?? That’s all I do.
“If we can show it this year, you sign the extension now. Obviously I still have a year left, but that’s where I’m thinking. I love the city. I love being here. I raised my family here. I would. I love being here, retiring here. I mean, how many people can say that they’ve played in one organization for their entire career? But at the end of the day, I want to win too.”
After 28 games this season, the Kings haven’t looked like they could answer Fox’s call — at least not with the way the roster is currently constructed.
Paul sat next to Fox’s wife, Reee, and the two, together, witnessed Sacramento loses 113-110 in Los Angeles which brought the Kings to 13-15 (6-9 at home) and 12th in the Western Conference.
It seems clear that time is running out for Fox and the Kings, and something needs to change for Sacramento if it wants to keep its franchise star for the long term.
