Getty The Lakers bench
A $187 million superstar claims he won’t request a trade to the Los Angeles Lakers despite signing with Rich Paul of Klutch Sports. Paul is close friends with Lakers small forward LeBron James and represents Anthony Davis.
In an exclusive interview with Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, Sacramento Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox said his move to Klutch Sports “had nothing to do with wanting to be traded or wanting to move on.” The 24-year-old is in the second year of a five-year, $163 million extension he signed in November 2020.
“When you’re an athlete who has any notoriety and you make a major change, it’s going to circulate and people are going to speculate. But for me, I love being in Sacramento,” Fox told Haynes. “This move had nothing to do with wanting to be traded or wanting to move on. This has more to do with myself and the business of basketball, and I feel like they’re able to help me in ways that I’ve never been able to be helped before. It was really a level up. That’s not being disrespectful to anybody else, but (Klutch) is one of the best in the game regardless of if it’s basketball or off-the-court business ventures. I understand the importance of infrastructure, and I feel like they do such a great job in every aspect of not only business but in life. I just felt like it was an upgrade in every single way.”
Fox is making $30.6 million this season. The lefty will have accumulated more than $187 million in NBA money when his contract ends following the 2025-26 season.
Fox: ‘I Love Being Here in Sacramento’
Fox was the fifth overall pick in the 2017 draft. He’s averaging 25.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists this season while shooting 53.0% from the field, 38.5% from beyond the arc and 82.0% from the free-throw line. The Kings haven’t made the playoffs since the 2005-06 campaign, but Fox told Haynes that he loves being in Sacramento.
“I love being here in Sacramento,” Fox told Haynes. “The fan interactions, it’s kind of like being at Kentucky. No matter how good the other sports are, it’s always going to be about basketball whenever you’re in that city. If you’re able to win here, I feel like it’s just a different feeling. And obviously being able to stay with the team that drafted you, somewhere you’re comfortable as far as life goes. Being in this city, in one place for a long time plays a major part in it. If I’m able to help this team go to the playoffs and hopefully win a championship at some point in my career, I feel like nothing would ever top that. Being able to say that you won a championship for the Sacramento Kings, like, that’s unheard of, right? People would say that you’re crazy. And if I was able to do that at any point, that would be the best thing ever in my career.”
The Kings defeated the Lakers in Los Angeles on November 11 by a final score of 120-114. Fox finished with 32 points, seven rebounds and 12 assists in 35 minutes while shooting 68.4% from the floor and 40.0% from 3-point land.
LeBron Welcomed Fox to Klutch Sports
James welcomed Fox to Klutch Sports by sending out a tweet on November 28. The Lakers forward, who is coming off a 39-point outburst on November 26 against the San Antonio Spurs, is clearly excited to have another star with Klutch Sports.
The Kings are 10-8, while the Lakers are 7-11. The two teams face each other three more times this season.