Kings PG De'Aaron Fox on The Move in Blockbuster Deal: Fantasy Basketball Takeaways

Matt Brandon | Feb 3, 2025

Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Editor's note: This post is being updated as more information becomes available.

After days of uncertainty, the Sacramento Kings finally pulled the trigger and dealt standout point guard De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs. According to SI's Josh Wilson, details of the full transaction are still emerging, but so far it's clear that Zach LaVine is moving from the Chicago Bulls to the Sacramento Kings as a part of the deal.

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the San Antonio Spurs have acquired De'Aaron Fox in a multi-team trade https://t.co/SHdEnoMwcJ

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) February 3, 2025

Just a day after Luka Donic and Anthony Davis were flipped, the Kings executed another blockbuster three-team deal. Here are the details:

The Spurs receive DeAaron Fox and Jordan McLaughlin. The Kings receive Sidy Cissoko, three future first-round picks, and three future second-round picks. The Chicago Bulls will receive Zach Collins, Tre Jones, Kevin Huerter, and the rights to their own 2025 first-round pick, which had been top-10 protected and previously owned by the Spurs. The second part of this trade sends Zach LaVine back to Sacramento where he'll be reunited with his former teammate, DeMar DeRozan.

In 45 games played this season, Fox averages 25.0 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.0 rebounds per game. He is converting 2.0 threes (though he's shooting just 32.1% from downtown) and is converting field goals at a 46.8% clip. His ability to stay low on defense and move laterally quickly has allowed him to collect 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks per game on the defensive end of the basketball. The stat stuffer is currently the 14th-ranked player in fantasy basketball Roto leagues. He is 19th in fantasy points per game.

Although Fox excelled in the pick-and-roll game with former teammate Domantas Sabonis, the electric playmaker should fare even better under the tutelage of head coach Greg Popovich. Not to mention, Fox will be teaming up with perhaps the best player the league has ever seen, Victor Wembanyama. Wemby isn't a selfish player so Fox should get plenty of opportunities in San Antonio.

Although Fox is still playing at a sensational level, we've seen him play even better basketball than he has this season. The point guard is two years removed from a career year (2022-23) when he made his first All-Star Game, made an All-NBA roster, and was awarded the Clutch Player of the Year award. He led the Kings to a 48-win season and ended a 17-year postseason drought in Sacramento. However, despite dropping a career-high 26.6 points per game last year, the Kings failed to make the playoffs. And after a 13-18 start this year, there were some rumblings that Fox wasn't happy. Sources say San Antonio was at the top of his trade destination list. I'd expect Fox's numbers to improve to 2022 levels as he teams up with Wemby and the Spurs look to make a playoff push in the Western Conference. San Antonio doesn't have a ton of talent in their backcourt so Fox is a welcome addition. He should see an uptick in assists and scoring despite the presence of young prospects Stephen Castle and Devin Vassell. Meanwhile, Harrison Barnes, Jeremy Sochan, and Keldon Johnson may see a slight downtick in usage rate and production.

LaVine, the other star player on the move, will turn 30 years old in March this year. In 42 games played, he is averaging 24.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. He's shooting 51% from the field, 45% from downtown, and 80% from the charity stripe. He will move into Sacremnto's starting lineup as Malik Monk likely takes over the point guard position, DeRozan continues to start at small forward, Keegan Murray starts at power forward, and Domantas Sabonis will continue to man the center position.

Former Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine / David Banks-Imagn Images

Injuries have always been LaVine's biggest downfall. Last season, a foot injury limited him to just 25 games. The big-time dunker and superstar scorer has had six seasons ended early due to injuries. He tore his left ACL in his third season and had a second surgery on that same knee, prematurely ending his 2022 campaign.

Malik Monk may be the biggest winner when the dust settles from this blockbuster move as he moves into Sacramento's starting lineup. Monk was already one of the top sixth men in the NBA and he now will get to make his talents known as a starting point guard. Over his last 29 games, Monk has averaged 20 points and seven assists per game. We could see a slight uptick with more minutes.

Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

In Chicago, Coby White may be the biggest benefactor of LaVine's exit. Although Kevin Huerter may slide into the starting lineup at the shooting guard position, he is not nearly as ball-dominant as LaVine. Huerter is mostly a spot shooter, meaning White will handle the ball far more often than he did before the LaVine trade. We could be looking at top-50 numbers in fantasy basketball. Meanwhile, Ayo Dosunmu is another clear winner in this trade as he is poised to be the starting small forward in Chicago. As a starter, Dosunmu's numbers (14.1 points, 5.3 assists) are much better than when he's coming off the bench (10.1 points, 3.7 assists). He should crack the top 100 the rest of the way.

Overall, De'Aaron Fox and Zach LaVine shouldn't see their respective values change too drastically but it will be interesting to see how they perform with their new franchises.

Stay tuned for more fantasy basketball news and the fallout of this massive blockbuster deal on Fantasy Sports on SI.

MORE FROM FANTASY SPORTS ON SI:

Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Top Week 15 Pickups

Josh Hart’s Maturity Leads to Fantasy Basketball Stardom

Luka Doncic to Lakers, AD to Mavericks: The Fantasy Basketball Implications