Kings Star De'Aaron Fox Bypasses Contract Extension

Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox is turning down a big payday to bet on himself.

Jan 16, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox (5) reacts after a play during the second quarter against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox is betting on himself. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Fox will bypass the three-year, $165 million extension he was eligible for this offseason. The Kings’ star point guard will angle for an even bigger extension next offseason. 

Reporting for NBA Today on Sacramento Kings cornerstone De’Aaron Fox bypassing a $165 million max extension as a larger deal looms in 2025 offseason: pic.twitter.com/ei8hJaTdwq

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 14, 2024

In the 2025 offseason, Fox will be eligible for a four-year, $229 million extension. But here’s where it gets interesting: if the eighth-year man out of Kentucky makes an All-NBA team, as he did in 2023, he would be eligible for a five-year, $345 million supermax. 

That would be the biggest contract in NBA history, far surpassing the current record of five years, $314 million that Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum signed this offseason. Fox has two years remaining on his current deal, so he would hit the open market in the 2027 offseason if he opts to not sign any extension in Sacramento.

Fox is coming off another career year in which he averaged 26.6 points, 5.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and an NBA-leading 2.0 steals per game. The year before was the season he cemented himself as a bonafide star, as he made the All-Star team and All-NBA Third Team, finished 11th in MVP voting, and won the inaugural Clutch Player of the Year Award. 

The Kings’ team success could play a big part in Fox’s ability to win individual awards, so getting back into the playoffs could be crucial to Fox making the All-NBA team this season.

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