De’Aaron Fox has thrived under coach Mitch Johnson and the San Antonio Spurs this season. He’s moved on from the Sacramento Kings, the franchise that took a chance on him in 2017 and drafted him with the No. 5 pick. His agent, Rich Paul, revealed on Wednesday’s episode of “Game Over” the truth about Sacramento’s trade.
Last season, the Kings ended their partnership with Fox after they fired Mike Brown as head coach. According to Paul, the former Kentucky point guard wanted to stay with the organization. The agent told his co-host, Max Kellerman, that the star guard wanted to play for the city and adored the ownership group.
“Here’s the thing, he never wanted to leave that team,” Paul said. “When I first signed him, one of the biggest things was… that was one of the things.
“He’s like, ‘Rich, I really want to see this thing through here in Sacramento because they drafted me.’ He liked the ownership group, etc.”
Rich Paul reveals De’Aaron Fox never wanted to leave the Kings
“When I first signed him one of the biggest things was he really wanted to see it through in SAC because they drafted me, he liked the ownership group etc.”
(h/t @NBA__Courtside)pic.twitter.com/5rRm9Rnxd0
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) January 8, 2026
Paul added that he presented teams to Fox when the trade rumors started circulating. This led him to be traded to the Spurs, a team that needed a point guard to lead the young core. During his eight-year stay in Sacramento, he averaged 21.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists, including one playoff appearance.
Fox took a shot at the Kings months after the trade
After years of building around De’Aaron Fox, the Kings finally had a competitive group in the 2022-23 season. The team was the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference and finished with a 48-34 record. The group that Fox led snapped the 16-year playoff drought.
However, they couldn’t capitalize on it, and things went south. This led the management to give up on Fox and trade him. Months following the trade, the star guard took a shot at Sacramento in a recent interview.
“I don’t really have anything to say; it is what it is. I wish [Murray] the best. Whether that is rebuilding, I want him to be in the best situation for him. The grass is greener on this side,” Fox said via Marc J. Spears.
Spears added that Fox is still in contact with former Kings teammate Keegan Murray and current New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown.
