Kings' De'Aaron Fox prefers trade to West rival

For nearly a year, Spurs fans have been salivating at the thought of Victor Wembanyama playing alongside a star guard, with Trae Young and Darius Garland being earmarked as potential targets.

It now appears Wemby could get his co-star imminently. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Kings guard De'Aaron Fox has the Spurs atop his list of preferred destinations ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

"Fox and his representation have a strategic destination in mind as his potential landing spot ahead of his free agency in 2026," Charania said. "I'm told the San Antonio Spurs are atop of that list of preferred destinations. Why that matters is because De'Aaron Fox becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2026. So wherever he lands, that team wants to know if he will stay long term."

Charania added that the Kings have "got dozens of calls" since it was reported that they were willing to listen to offers for Fox. According to multiple insiders, Fox prefers a trade to a team where he would be willing to sign a long-term extension. As such, his representation has urged interested suitors to tread carefully.   

The Heat, Rockets, Magic and Clippers are among other teams interested in a trade for Fox, per The Athletic's Sam Amick.

Fox's trade request sent shockwaves through the NBA world, given the Kings' midseason resurgence under interim coach Doug Christie. The Kings have won 11 of their last 14 games, including a 110-96 rout of the Nets on Monday. Sacramento (24-22) owns the 10th seed but is only 2.5 games behind the fifth-seeded Lakers (26-19). 

The athletic guard is averaging 25.2 points, 6.2 assists and 1.5 steals in his eighth season with the Kings.