Less than 24 hours after the historic NBA blockbuster trade that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas in return for Luka Doncic, another former Kentucky star was also in the headlines for another monumental deal.
Former Kentucky Wildcat De’Aaron Fox, formerly the star for the Sacramento Kings, was dealt to the San Antonio Spurs in a three-team deal that also included the Chicago Bulls.
As first reported by ESPN Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania, the Kings traded Fox and 28-year-old former USC point guard Jordan McLaughlin to the Spurs. In this same trade, the Kings received Bulls star Zach LaVine, 20-year-old French small forward and shooting guard Sidy Cissoko, three first-round NBA draft picks and three second-round picks. The Bulls received Spurs two-way Zach Collins, the Spurs’ former Duke point guard Tre Jones, Kings shooting guard and small forward Kevin Huerter and regained their own 2025 NBA draft pick back from the Spurs.
Fox, a point guard from Katy, Texas, committed to John Calipari’s Kentucky Wildcats as a five-star recruit ahead of the 2016-17 college basketball season.With Kentucky, Fox, alongside fellow current NBA player Malik Monk, performed at a high level, averaging 16.7 points per game and leading the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight before falling to the North Carolina Tar Heels. Shortly after the season, Fox became the latest Kentucky “one-and-done” and declared for the draft.
He was selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft by Sacramento, becoming the Kings’ starting point guard and star for many seasons, most recently averaging 25 points per game and 6.1 assists.
Fox became disheartened about his situation in Sacramento after the Kings fired Head Coach Mike Brown, with questions about the future of the organization lingering in his mind.
“The Kings’ beam isn’t burning as bright as it was two seasons ago,” a report from The Athletic said. “The prospect of him (Fox) declining an extension again this summer — or perhaps telling them ahead of time that he plans on doing so — would inevitably force the Kings to consider trading Fox rather than losing him for nothing in free agency.”
In being dealt to San Antonio, Fox, a former NBA All-Star, will join former No. 1 overall pick and NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama and an aging 12-time NBA All-Star in Chris Paul.
The prospect of Fox and “Wemby” connecting created plenty of buzz on social media as chatter of the Spurs returning to contender status after most recently winning their fifth NBA Championship in 2014.
As for the Kings, they received the building blocks for their future with three first-round draft picks (2025, 2027, 2031), three second-round picks (2025, 2028, 2028), Cissoko, a G-Leaguer, and LaVine, a two-time NBA All-Star.
LaVine, a 29-year-old shooting guard from Bothell, Washington, played college ball at UCLA before being drafted 13th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2014. LaVine would stay in Minnesota until he joined the Bulls in 2017, where he has been since.With the Bulls, LaVine blossomed into a star, making back-to-back All-Star Games in 2021 and 2022, and has averaged 24 points per game, 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists.
LaVine had been on the trade block for a few seasons as Chicago’s competitive window was never quite able to open with the team never going further than the sixth in the Eastern Conference and losing in five games to the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. It became clear the Bulls had given up on their current roster when DeMar DeRozan was able to walk in free agency last summer.

The former Bruin had requested a move out of Chicago and has remained confident in his abilities despite a foot injury that cut his 2023-24 season short.
“I can be a star in whatever situation I’m in,” LaVine told the Chicago Tribune. “I’m still super effective — and I’m going to keep it that way.”
Looking to rebuild once again, the move was disappointing for much of the Bulls’ faithful as the organization failed to lock down solid draft value, only receiving their own 2025 pick, which had previously been traded away.
Player wise, the Bulls did receive Collins, who had been on a two-way with the Spurs, Jones and former Mr. New York Basketball Huerter.
As for the futures of the three squads, the Kings seemed set for a rebuild after finishing third in the Western Conference — first in the Pacific Division — two seasons ago and being bounced by the Golden State Warriors in the first round. Last season, the Kings finished ninth in the conference and missed the playoffs after losing to the New Orleans Pelicans in the Play-In Tournament.
The Spurs, for their part, made out well, adding a star point guard in Fox to gel with the potential future face of the league in Wembanyama.
As for the Bulls, it seems rocky shores are still ahead for the Chicago faithful with a front office that has continued to struggle to get solid worth out of the team’s stars after never truly clicking.
It is unknown when Fox will first suit up for the Spurs, which next travel to Memphis for a date with the Grizzlies inside FedEx Forum on Monday. The Spurs will then travel to Atlanta on Feb. 5, Charlotte on Feb. 7, Orlando on Feb. 8, Washington D.C. on Feb. 10 and Boston on Feb. 12 before finally returning home to the Moody Center on Feb. 20 against the Phoenix Suns.