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Trading for Sacramento Kings star De’Aaron Fox may be cheaper than what the Cleveland Cavaliers paid to acquire Donovan Mitchell in 2022.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, “there seems to be a general consensus among NBA decision makers polled by The Stein Line, at this juncture, that Fox is unlikely to command the sort of trade haul Cleveland had to surrender in order to land Mitchell.”
The Cavaliers traded three players including Lauri Markkanen and Collin Sexton, as well as three unprotected first-rounders and two pick swaps, to acquire Mitchell ahead of the 2022-23 season.
The Cavs also sent out Ochai Agbaji, who at the time had been recently selected with the No. 14 pick of the 2022 draft.
The difference in trade prices could be in part due to Fox’s contract, which is currently set to expire after the 2025-26 season. At the time of the Cavs’ blockbuster deal, Mitchell was signed for at least three more seasons and had a player option for a fourth.
ESPN’s Shams Charania has previously reported that the San Antonio Spurs are Fox’s “preferred destination,” and that the Spurs are “among the interested teams in Fox.”
In another report, Charania said the Kings have told interested teams they want both “win-now players” and “draft capital” in exchange for Fox.
The Spurs have young players like Stephon Castle to potentially offer, as well as one of the biggest stockpiles of draft assets in the league. The franchise is currently sitting on 12 first-round picks, nine of which are tradable, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
San Antonio could also theoretically be willing to pay more for Fox if the Kings star indicates he would be willing to sign an extension as part of the trade.
But for other teams, who may risk adding Fox for just one and a half seasons before losing him ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, the asking price for Mitchell could be steep.
The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported Tuesday that the Kings are “listening to trade offers” amid indications that Fox does not plan to sign an extension in Sacramento this summer.
Fox could be eligible, given an All-NBA nod, for a five-year supermax extension only if he stays with the Kings. If he is traded and re-signs with another team, he could still make up to $296 million on a five-year max deal, per Keith Smith of Front Office Sports and Spotrac.
The era of the second luxury tax apron could limit the number of teams able to offer that kind of deal— and therefore the number of clubs willing to give up a Mitchell-like haul in order to acquire Fox.
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