NBA Trades: The Rockets get into the playoff hunt by acquiring De'Aaron Fox.
Although the Houston Rockets have been adamant about not breaking up their core, they could be a dark horse team to land Fox. To be able to trade Fox without taking a major step back, the Kings would likely prefer to acquire a point guard in a potential deal, and the Rockets could offer Fred VanVleet, Cam Whitmore, and three first-round picks for Fox.
To make the math work, the Kings would also have to include Trey Lyles, but that probably wouldn't be their biggest hang-up in a deal with the Rockets. While the Rockets can offer a stopgap option at point guard and three first-round picks, the Kings may want a member of their young core.
Alperin Sengun and Jalen Green can't be traded during the season, with the former likely untouchable while the latter would probably be available if Fox isn't moved until the summer. Houston does have other prospects such as Tari Eason, Reed Sheppard, and Jabari Smith Jr., but the Rockets may balk at including any of those players.
That could force the Kings to make a tough decision with them having a roster that they had intended to compete for the playoffs. VanVleet is a clear downgrade, but he is at least a serviceable starting point guard. Swapping Fox out for him would essentially make them worse than they are now and put them in the lottery-pick territory. That being said, no matter what Fox trade they make, that would be the likely outcome.
Rebuilding through the draft would be a potentially long process and something that the Kings may not want to do again since they failed time and again to do so during their 16-year playoff drought. However, they aren't a free agency or trade destination, even with Sabonis, which limits their options post-Fox.
In that case, receiving three first-round picks, including an unprotected first from the Phoenix Suns in 2027, is a strong package even if it doesn't necessarily fit with what Sacramento wants to do. If they are forced to move on from Fox, it would put them in between a rock and a hard place, with no deal they could make during the season likely to get them out of that spot.
That could mean that they try to hold off on trading him until after the season, giving them more time to see how their roster looks. It would also allow for the Rockets to include Green in a potential trade, although it may be harder for them to match salary with VanVleet having a massive team option that may not get picked up.
Green isn't having the most efficient season, but he still flashes star potential, and that is more than most teams in the hunt for Fox can offer up. Based on that, holding off on a deal with the Rockets until the summer may be in the Kings' best interest since it would potentially mean a better trade package than they can muster up now. However, if Fox forces Sacramento's hand, the Rockets can cobble together a competitive offer.