NBA Trade Rumors: De’Aaron Fox speculated to be the center piece of a potential major move by Sacramento Kings

It's been a rollercoaster of a year so far for the Sacramento Kings and their fan base. As the 2021-22 NBA season marches on, the Kings currently find themselves with a 10-14 record as they attempt to get back on the right track in the Western Conference standings. A slow start for the Kings has led to a number of changes, including the firing of former head coach Luke Walton.

But that's not the only reason the Sacramento Kings have started to generate a buzz around the league. After the Kings selected rookie guard Davion Mitchell with the eighth overall selection in the 2021 NBA Draft, many wondered what the future could look like for franchise star De'Aaron Fox. In a recent article from The Ringer's NBA insider Kevin O'Connor, there's speculation that the Kings could look to potentially move Fox in a future trade.

"GM Monte McNair drafted two guards in consecutive drafts (Mitchell and Tyrese Haliburton) despite having De’Aaron Fox on the payroll, which suggests to executives around the league that Fox will be his main piece for a big move."

As the NBA Trade Deadline inches closer, it's going to be a popular time for speculation around the NBA to increase. After the Sacramento Kings hit on their selection of guard Tyrese Haliburton in the 2020 NBA Draft, many wondered what direction GM Monte McNair would go in when it came to the eighth overall pick in the 2021 Draft. After selecting another guard in Davion Mitchell, many started to wonder if that meant De'Aaron Fox's time in Sacramento was running out.

The Kings are still a long way away from becoming a playoff contender in the Western Conference and it's going to be interesting to see what McNair wants to do with the future direction of the team. McNair is in his second year as the man in charge for the Kings, so he could look to try to move Fox and shift the team in another direction, especially with a number of young guards already in the mix. Fox struggled to start the year for Sacramento, but he's beginning to see his minutes come around.

The 24-year-old guard is currently averaging 20.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game while shooting 42.9% from the field and 26.2% from downtown. The crafty floor general recently signed a five-year, $163 million extension that officially began at the start of this season. It remains to be seen if the Sacramento Kings will look to move one of their most valuable assets, as Fox is still seen as a rising young guard around the league. If Sacramento does decide to move Fox, it would signal that they are most likely attempting to rebuild on the fly and shift their focus towards developing Mitchell and Haliburton as their backcourt pairing moving forward.