Why the Timberwolves trading for De'Aaron Fox is virtually impossible

Fox and Anthony Edwards would be a fun duo, but it's not realistically happening anytime soon.

Nov 15, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox (5) and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) meet after the game at Golden 1 Center. / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

The idea of Anthony Edwards and De'Aaron Fox sharing the same backcourt is a fun one, but the Timberwolves trading for Fox before next week's deadline is essentially impossible.

A report on Friday from Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints — whose legitimacy as an insider is unclear — indicated that the Wolves are among the teams who have inquired with the Kings about Fox's availability. That report/rumor has since generated some noise on social media.

Here's why it doesn't work: The Wolves are over the second apron, which means they cannot take back a greater salary than they send out. That means the only player they could functionally trade for Fox and his $34.8 million cap hit is Edwards, which obviously isn't happening. Rudy Gobert also makes enough, but after signing an extension before the season, he isn't eligible to be traded until next offseason. Julius Randle's $33 million cap hit isn't enough.

More: How does the second apron come into play in mock Timberwolves trades?

Another second apron restriction is that the Wolves cannot aggregate multiple players' salaries in a trade. In other words, they can't make a trade that would send out Randle and Jaden McDaniels ($23 million) for a package including Fox, whether that's a two-team deal or a trade involving three or more franchises.

The only way it works is if the Wolves make two separate trades. The first one would have to move Randle and get Minnesota out of the second apron. That would mean shedding over $16 million, which might well be legitimately impossible, given the restrictions on what other teams can add to their payroll in a trade, regardless of how much cap space they have. At the very least, it would have to be a complicated multi-team trade. Then, once under the second apron, the Wolves could theoretically acquire Fox in a package that would have to include McDaniels and other assets.

It's simply not a remotely realistic possibility.

A deal of any sort involving Fox might be hard for Sacramento to pull off before the deadline. Despite this week's report from Shams Charania that the Kings will listen to talks on Fox, they don't have to move him now. If he truly doesn't want to sign an extension and will be set for free agency in 2026, they could still wait until this offseason to make a trade. Fox's preferred destination is reportedly the Spurs, but is San Antonio willing to give up someone like Stephon Castle to add Fox?

It's going to be fascinating to see what, if anything, happens with Fox and Jimmy Butler — the other big name who could potentially be moved — over the next week.

It remains likely that it'll be a quiet deadline for the Wolves, especially with Randle's groin injury on Thursday night potentially complicating any trade possibilities involving him.

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