RUMOR ROUNDUP: Are Brooklyn Nets in play for De’Aaron Fox?

It’s the kind of stuff that pops up out of nowhere just before trade deadline.

Of course whenever an NBA superstar becomes available, teams around the league will ?monitor what’s going, particularly if there are connections already in place they are between De’Aaron Fox and the Brooklyn Nets.

Fox, who’s been rumored to be unhappy with the Kings’ management, has reportedly made it clear to the Sacramento Kings that he wants a new address and the Kings are looking at potential deals for the 27-year-old. Fox, who played in Brooklyn and scored 30 points on Monday night, In short, Fox is in play, but what the the Nets?

Would a trade for a star at this juncture of the team’s rebuild signal a change in strategy, moving from an organic version using picks and reverting to the same type of strategy that led to the Big Three fiasco, acquire one star to attract others, DeAaron Fox leading to Giannis Antetokounmpo?.

Shams Charania was first with the news:

Shams later revealed Fox’s preferred team is the San Antonio Spurs.

There will be plenty of suitors for Fox, who made an All-NBA team in 2022-23, but it’s believed that the San Antonio Spurs are atop his list of preferred landing spots, league sources told ESPN. Fox and his representation, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, have a target destination in mind ahead of his free agency, those sources said.

However, Ian Begley on his own Twitter page suggested that the Nets are among the teams with interest.

But Frank Isola of the YES Network and Sirius XM, tweeted that there are more than one option including the Nets…

Doing a deal at the February 6 or just before doesn’t seem to be advantageous to the Nets or Fox. The Nets have no cap space at the moment but by June 30 when free agents can negotiate with teams they could have more than $60 million more than twice as much as any other team, According to Bobby Marks, the difference in potential salary could be as much as $77 million.

Fox is one of game’s top point guards on the third year of a five-year, $163 million contract, the final year a player option. The 27-year-old is averaging 25.2 points and 6.2 assists while shooting 46.8% overall. An NBA All-Star and All-NBA selection in 2023, Fox led the league in steals last year.

He played under Jordi Fernandez the last two seasons before Fernandez joined the Nets. Both the Kings offensive coordinator Deividas Dulkys, and player development coach, Dutch Gaitley followed Fernandez to Brooklyn.

Any deal between the Nets and Kings would no doubt require Brooklyn to hand over a number of their 15 first round draft picks in the next seven years, including 12 that are available for trade at any time, as well as 16 second rounders. They would also have to find a big contract to move.

The first contract to come to mind of course is that of Cam Johnson who despite another season of injuries is viewed as a top trade piece. His contract is reasonable considering his production this season. Moreover, it drops as a percentage of the salary cap the next two years.

Ben Simmons is an expiring contract at $40.3 million while Bojan Bogdanovic who has yet to play this season, is making $19.0 million. The Nets also have three restricted free agents in Cam Thomas, Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams and a number of young developmental prospects on expiring minimum deals, partially guaranteed or even two-way deals.

• Sources: Kings to open talks for potential De’Aaron Fox trade – Shams Charania –