The San Antonio Spurs have been at the forefront of NBA trade rumors since Tuesday. The Spurs have emerged as the most likely destination for All-Star point guard De’Aaron Fox, who is allegedly being courted by the Sacramento Kings. There are many obvious benefits for Fox to play with Victor Wembanyama. Fox isn’t willing to come to San Antonio for free, despite his efforts to get out, and the Kings are reportedly interested in rookie Stephon Castle, whom the Spurs may be hesitant to move.
Castle, who was selected fourth overall by the Spurs in the 2024 NBA Draft, has become a valuable member of the Silver and Black’s rotation. Devin Carter, meanwhile, was chosen 13th overall by the Kings. It makes a lot of sense to pair Carter and Castle in Sacramento because both were Big East guys who were touted as elite defenders. The Spurs aren’t ready to let go of their Rising Star, though.
Sam Amick of The Athletic reports that many around the league doubt San Antonio would be willing to include him in a trade. If that holds true, the Kings would need to explore alternative ways to complete the deal. Along with their reluctance to trade Castle, the Spurs already have a high-level point guard and are in no hurry to make a major move, especially with Chris Paul’s contract set to expire at the end of the season.
Amick stated that the Spurs would find it simpler to bring in Fox during the summer while allowing the 39-year-old Paul to complete his productive season. If San Antonio delays trade talks with the Kings until then, Paul could continue as the team’s point guard for the remainder of the season.
With star point guard De’Aaron Fox apparently on the trade block, the Sacramento Kings have been the talk of the NBA leading up to next week’s trade deadline. No one anticipated that the Kings would attempt to move Fox and fire head coach Mike Brown before the season began.
Fox will have a “target destination” in mind when he enters unrestricted free agency in 2026 if he doesn’t sign an extension. Trade negotiations between the Kings and the Spurs appear to be going well ahead of the trade deadline, with Fox allegedly considering the San Antonio Spurs as his preferable destination.
The Kings shouldn’t be giving Fox away for crumbs just because he wants to leave because he has established himself as one of the best point guards in the game. Sacramento must make sure they receive a fair price for its franchise point guard, since the Kings and Spurs are probably negotiating a possible trade.
Spurs guard Stephon Castle is the “key factor” in a possible trade, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
During an interview on Get Up, Windhorst mentioned that all eyes are on the San Antonio Spurs, as Fox reportedly prefers to join them. However, the key factor in the situation is Stephon Castle, whom the Kings highly value and would likely prioritize in any potential trade.
Castle, 20, is a 6-foot-6 point guard who is averaging 11.9 points and 3.5 assists per game this season. The Kings’ desire to acquire the 2024 fourth-overall pick in exchange for Fox makes sense given his enormous potential. The Spurs have the same opinion about him, which is the only issue.
According to Windhorst, the Spurs may consider their rookie star to be untouchable, despite the Kings’ intense desire for Castle in a possible trade.
Windhorst stated on NBA Today, “I believe [Castle] is as untouchable as I believe you could have.” “They might give it some thought if Luka Doncic or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were on the table. However, I’m not sure if De’Aaron Fox reaches that level.
Any possible deal could be disappointing for the Kings if the Spurs are hesitant to let go of Castle. Although the 20-year-old rookie is a great asset to both teams, the Kings find it difficult to part with Fox without receiving a player like Castle in exchange.
